Vnion Joh. 14.20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you that day refers either to the time when the Spirit should be given which is promised v. 16 17 or to the glorisied state spoken of v. 19 upon the effusion of the Spirit men may come to know something of this Union but it will never be fully understood by them till they be in Glory In the opening of it so far as the present state and the height of the mystery will admit of I must look into the Word and keep to that and fetch all from that for 't is Revelation and not Reason which here must give us Light The Word having reveal'd it Reason may be useful as an Handmaid to shadow it out by such and such Resemblances thereby to help us the better to conceive of it but that which must be our first and main Guide about it is Scripture Revelation Now the Scripture speaks of a threefold Vnion 1. There is the Vnion of three Persons in one Nature Of the Vnion of the Three Pexsons of the two Natures in Christ and of the Mystical Vnion 2. There is the Vnion of two Natures in one Person 3. There is the Vnion of Persons where yet Persons and Natures are distinct 1. There is the Vnion of three Persons in one Nature This is in the Trin-Vnity where you have three Persons united in the Godhead the Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity One in Three in respect of Nature and Essence and Three in One in respect of Personality This is that ineffable incomprehensible Union which is between the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the same common Nature of the Godhead Of which the Apostle speaks 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Here are Three and yet One Three as to their distinct Personal Subsistences and yet One as to their common Nature This a Mystery to be adored not to be fathomed a * The Union betwixt the Three Persons c. the knowledge of this is not nay cannot be attained unto by the Light of Nature No example can illustrate no Reason Angelical or humane can comprehend the hidden excellency of this glorious Mystery But it is discovered to us by a divine Revelation in the written Word and our Faith must receive and our Piety admire what our Reason cannot comprehend Cheynel of the Divine trin-Trin-Unity ch ◠p. 19 Vide Aquin. p. 1. Qu. 39. Art 1 2. Lombard Lib. 1. Dist 2 3. Mystery much too deep for the Plummet of Reason to reach he that by Reason would go about to grasp it is as foolish as he that would attempt to put the Ocean into a bucket or to grasp the Universe in the hollow of his hand 2. There is the Vnion of two Natures in one Person This is that which we commonly call the Hypostatical Vnion or the Union of the two Natures in Christ his Godhead and his Manhood both making up but one Person You may thus conceive of it 'T is the substantial supernatural conjunction of the two Natures in Christ the Divine assuming the Humane and giving it a subsistence in its self so that both make but one Person and yet so as that the being and properties of both Natures are preserved intire As to this twofold Vnion I am not at present concern'd to speak to them when I shall come to the third Verse I shall have occasion there to speak to the latter 3. There is the Vnion of Persons where yet Persons and Natures are distinct and this is the Mystical Vnion The Mystical Vnion opened that which is betwixt Christ and Believers this I am only now to speak to Concerning which that you may not mistake the Nature of it you must know here is Vnion but no transmutation confusion or commixtion here is the union of persons but not personal union 1. Here is union but no transmutation confusion or commixtion I 'le put them together for brevity sake Believers are united to Christ but yet not so as that they are changed or transformed into the very essence or being of Christ so as to be Christed with Christ as some too boldly speak or that he is changed or transformed into the essence and being of Believers no you must not entertain a thought of any such thing Christ is Christ still and Believers are but Creatures still notwithstanding this Union though they be really and nearly united yet both keep their Natures distinct and are the same after the Union that they were before it As it is in the Persons in the Sacred Trinity (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc de Orthod Fide lib. 1. cap. 11. pag. 42 there is Vnion but no confusion they are Essentially one yet they have their personal Properties and distinct Subsistences And as it is in the two Natures of Christ they are under a near Vnion they make but one Person yet for all this they are (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synod Calced distinct the Godhead is not turned into the Manhood nor the Manhood into the Godhead they are united but not confounded or converted for both of them even after this Union do still retain their * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Dial. cap. 66. essential properties without confusion or conversion So 't is in the Union of Believers with Christ for thus far we may make use of the two former Vnions to open the Mystical Union by they all agree in This though in other things they differ You may take a lower resemblance of it if you please In Man there is a near Vnion between Soul and Body and these two united make up the man * Vide Nemes de Nat. Hom. p. 97. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. yet upon the union the Soul is not turned into the nature of the Body nor the Body into the nature of the Soul they are not confounded though united they yet retain their essence and properties distinct the Soul is the Soul still and the Body is the Body still So it is in the Vnion between Christ and Believers 2. Here is the Vnion of persons but not personal union And here lies the difference between the Mystical Vnion and the Hypostatical Vnion The Hypostatical Vnion is Personal but not of Persons the reason is because in Christ there are two Natures but there is but one Person there is this Nature and that Nature in Christ but not this Person and that Person in Christ as Nestorius held there is in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliud aliud but not alius alius as the Learned express it Christ did not assume the * Vide Lombard Lib. 3. Dist 5. Person of man but the Nature of man into his Person Non assumpsit Hominem Personam sed
Hominem in Personam But now in the Mystical Vnion 't is otherwise there 't is the Vnion of Persons but not Personal Vnion this I 'le endeavour to clear as well as I can In the Mystical Vnion there is the Vnion of Persons the Person of Christ is united to the Person of the Believer and the Person of the Believer is united to the Person of Christ For Faith being the uniting grace and this faith receiving the Person of Christ * Joh. 1.12 Faith is a receiving of Christ himself we cannot receive the benefits that come by him without receiving of himself as in Marriage the Consent is I take thee not I take thine c. Vines on the Sacram. p. 120. To as many as received him c it must also unite to the Person of Christ In the Marriage-Vnion 't is person joyned to person and so 't is in the Mystical Vnion also How is a Believer said to be in Christ it cannot so properly be said that he is in the graces or in the comforts or in the gifts of Christ but the meaning is he is in the Person of Christ so that this is an Union of Persons For further this Vnion doth not lye only in some moral or spiritual acts qualities or gracious indowments as oneness of will or oneness of disposition c. but it lies in the Oneness of Persons And therefore * Nostra ipsius conjunctio non miscet Personas nec confundit substantias sed affectus consociat confaederat voluntates Cypr. Cyprian's explication of this Vnion with Christ is not full enough Our Vnion saith he with Christ does not mingle Persons nor confound Substances so far very true but it unites affections and wills if he meant that this was all then 't is conceived he came short there is more in it than so for there is besides this uniting of the Affections and Will the uniting though not the mingling of Persons The Father Son and Spirit are one not only in respect of Consent as some most falsely tell us but also in respect of Nature and Essence Now far be it from me to say that Christ and the Saints are one in this sense yet withall I say even between them there is an higher Vnion than barely that of oneness of affection and will I say no more than what * Vide Zanch. in Cap. 5. ad Eph. p. 245. Polan Synt. Theol. Lib. 6. cap. 35. p. 454. Hujus Unionis interventu fit ut tum Beneficiorum Christi tum Substantiae ipsius fiamus participes quia beneficia omnia vis illa vivifica quae animas nostras sustentat in vitam aeternam non possunt à Corpore Sanguine Christi cui inhaerent adeoque ab ipso Christo divelli Trelcat Inst Theol. Lib. 2. p. 189. Bucan L. C. 48. p. 818 819. 'T is not an Union of Christ with a Believer in Accidents only as in Opinion Affection in Consent of Mind and Heart or in likeness of Disposition and Conversation but it is an Union of Substances Essences Persons As Mr. Perkins saith the Person of him that believeth is united to the Person of Christ Reyn. Praec p 49. Others who write upon this Argument generally say But that you may not go too high I add this Vnion is not Personal 't is but Mystical not Personal For then Christ and the Believer would properly and physically make but one person and then it would be so many Believers so many Christs and then the Believer would have no subsistence but in Christ as the Humane Nature of Christ hath no subsistence but what it hath in the Godhead and then he would merit in what he did as Christ quà Man did by virtue of the Personal Vnion Therefore we must conclude that though here is an Vnion of Persons the Person of Christ in a mystical way being united to the person of Believers yet here is not any Personal Vnion they both notwithstanding this remaining several and distinct Persons These things may seem as indeed they are abstruse and dark to you I 'le come to that which will be somewhat more plain and easie For the further Explication of this Great Mystery there are Three Things which I 'le speak to 1. I 'le endeavour to open the several Kinds or Branches of that Vnion which is betwixt Christ and Believers 2. I 'le give you those Scriptural Resemblances by which 't is shadowed and set forth 3. I 'le give you the several Properties of it Vnion Mystical Legal Moral 1. First Let me open the several Kinds or Branches of this Vnion 'T is Threefold Mystical Legal and Moral A Believer is united to Christ three ways Mystically Legally Morally Take any of these singly and they will not be enough comprehensive but take them jointly so there 's all in them Of the Mystical Vnion 1. First there 's the Mystical Vnion so we usually call it Which may be thus * Vide Bodium in Ephes 5.28 p. 786. more fully describing of it describ'd 'T is that supernatural spiritual intimous Oneness and Conjunction which is betwixt the Person of Christ and the Persons of Believers through the Bond of the Spirit and Faith upon which there follows mutual and reciprocal Communion each with the other If this Description be taken in pieces it contains in it the most considerable things to be known about the Mystical Vnion For 1. Here is the proper General Nature of it viz. Oneness and Conjunction Christ and Saints are united how why in respect of that Oneness and Conjunction that is betwixt them This the Scripture-Expressions do mainly refer to and clearly hold forth They are said to be in Christ and Christ in them they are said to dwell in Christ and Christ in them to abide in Christ and Christ in them to be one with Christ as he is one with the Father the several Scriptures which speak to these things have been already cited They are further said to be (a) 1 Cor. 6.17 joyned to the Lord and to be one Spirit to be (b) Eph. 5.31 32. one flesh Christ (c) Gal. 2.20 lives in them he is the (d) Eph. 1.22 Head they the Members he the (e) Joh. 15.5 Root they the Branches he the (f) 1 Cor. 3.9 11. Foundation they the Building he the (g) Eph. 5.28 c. Husband they the Wife All these expressions I say point to that Oneness and Conjunction which is betwixt Christ and Believers in which the General Nature of the Mystical Vnion doth consist 2. Here 's the Qualities or Properties of this Vnion 't is a supernatural spiritual intimous Vnion to which I shall speak by and by 3. Here 's the Subjects of this Vnion Christ and Believers And that too is set down with this modification the Oneness and Conjunction is betwixt the Person of Christ and the Persons of Believers of which before 4. Here 's the Media or
Holiness c. He that will undertake to redeem Sinners must have all these for they all were indispensably requisite to such an undertaking the Lord Jesus had them all and that too in an eminent and extraordinary measure as I might easily shew at large never did any meer Creature arrive at that pitch of Wisdom Power Holiness c. which he did therefore none so fit to be sent as he 3. 'T was grounded upon his Sonship and neer relation to God Who so fit to make others the adopted sons of God as he who was himself the Natural Son of God 4. Vpon the glory and dignity of his Person He was the image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 the express image of his Fathers Person Heb. 1.3 Now who so fit to restore Man to God's image as that Man who was the essential image of God 5. Christ's admirable and transcendent fitness was grounded upon his threefold Office as he was King Priest and Prophet For hereupon he was and is fit to deal both with God and Man he 's a Friest to deal with God a King and Prophet to deal with Man Doth God stand upon Satisfaction Christ is a Priest to die and to offer up himself an expiatory Sacrifice or will God keep his distance from the Creature and be known in his greatness Christ is a Priest to mediate and intercede Then is the Sinner under ignorance and darkness Christ is a Prophet to inlighten and teach or is he under the tyranny of sin and a rebel against God Christ is King to rescue subdue and conquer him to himself to bring and keep him under his own dominion and government To sum up all there are but two things to be done for the Sinner in order to his happiness viz. impetration and application now both of these are done by Christ's threefold Office By the first part of his Priestly Office his Oblation there wâ—s the impetration for by that he procured purchased merited all good by the second part of his Priestly Office his intercession there 's the application And because both God and the Creature are to be dealt withal in order to this application therefore Christ doth accordingly deal with both of them with God he deals in the way of prayer or intercession for God because of his Majesty and Soveraignty will be treated in this manner with the Creature he deals in the way of power partly by dispelling the darkness of the mind which he doth as Prophet and partly by taking off the rebellion of the Will and bringing the stubborn Sinner under a ready subjection to God which he doth as King Which things being done all that Christ hath purchased is now made over and actually applyed to the Creature Upon the Whole then it follows that Christ being invested with these Offices which are every way so full of so great virtue so suited to the Nature and demands of God and the condition of the Sinner he must needs be by many degrees the fittest-Person to be sent by God Before I go off from this Head I desire One thing may be taken notice of It must be granted that the sending of Christ was praevious and antecedent to several of the Things which have been mentioned as the demonstrations of his superlative fitness to be sent and the grounds of his being sent Yet nevertheless they may be alledged and made use of in that notion because though in our apprehension if not also in the Nature of the Thing they were after the sending yet in the eye and estimation of God they were before it For instance Christ just at his sending had not then assumed the Humane Nature we suppose that to antecede his incarnation yet God judged him a person fit to be sent because of that Nature And so he might very well for though the incarnation as considered in it self was future yet as to the knowledge consideration estimation of God it was present and done already I thought it necessary to put in this for the preventing of an Objection which might arise in the thoughts of Some upon the reading of what hath been laid down 4. Fourthly God therefore sent Christ not only because he was the fittest Person to be sent but because indeed he was the only Person that could be sent for none but he could effect or accomplish Man's Redemption If God will be so gracious as to send 't was not only convenient but necessary that he should send this very person his own Son for there was none Other in heaven or earth that could go through an undertaking of this nature There were Evils to be indured which were above the strength of any meer Creature to indure there were Evils to be removed the Wrath of God the Guilt of Sin the Curse of the Law which no meer Creature was able to remove there were also Blessings to be procured as Reconciliation with God Justification Adoption eternal Salvation which no such Creature possibly could procure O no! therefore Christ himself must come or nothing can be done Why did not God send an Angel rather than his Son why because he knew Redemption-work was no work for an Angel no not for the whole body of Angels If the whole Order of them had come from heaven and combined all their strength together they could not have redeemed so much as One Soul I dispute not how far God by his mighty power might have enabled an Angel to have bore up under the greatest sufferings Suppose he might have had such a strength as to have been able to undergo all that Christ did yet under the highest communications of the grace of God to him he being still a meer Creature could never satisfie for what was past not merit for what was to come he could neither expiate sin nor procure eternal Life No these are things which could only be accomplished by Him who was more than a meer finite or created being even by the Lord Jesus who was Man but God too wherefore he 's the Person whom the Father will send And he very well understood himself in what he did if the work had been possible to have been effected by any Creature God would have employd that Creature and spar'd his own Son nothing but absolute necessity made him to fix upon this course So much for the Reasons why God sent his Son which we poor dim-sighted creatures do but in a manner guess at but he himself understands them fully As * Acts 15.18 all his works are known to him so also the special reasons of all his works are known to him and eminently those which he went upon in this his highest and greatest work When we come to heaven we shall more fully know why Christ was sent but here our knowledge is very dark and imperfect about it I have done with the three Things which I propounded to open and so have dispatch'd the Doctrinal part I am now to make some practical
the Text God sent his Son implying he was a Son before he was sent had it not been so it must have been said God sent him to be his Son and not God sent his Son which supposes him before the sending to be actually a Son The Third False Ground of Christ's Sonship 3. Another Cause assigned of Christ's Sonship and of the apellation here given him God's own Son is his Resurrection That begetting which the Psalmist speaks of Psal 2.7 is not say they to be interpreted of Christ's being eternally begotten of the Father but only of what the Father did when he raised him up from the dead for so the Apostle brings it in Acts 13.32 33. We declare unto you glad tydings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the Second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Christ not God's Son in respect of his Resuâ—rection For answer to this 1. How many Causes and Grounds shall we have of Christ's Sonship we have had two already here 's a third we shall have by and by a fourth and a fifth and I know not how many more where shall we stop Christ's Sonship is but one I mean as he is the Son of God and therefore admits not of the multiplication of Causes In all relations there is some single act which is the foundation of them upon which in their relative notion they are compleat and why should it not be so here in the relation betwixt God and Christ Our Opponents tell us that Christ upon his miraculous Coneeption was the Son of God I then ask was he so truly fully perfectly compleatly if so which they by their Principles cannot deny then what need is there of any thing further or how doth the nature of the thing admit of any thing further for he that is a Son already perfect and compleat cannot by any addition or new emergency be made more a Son because the Essence of things whether absolute or relative cannot be intended or remitted We are enquiring what is it which makes Christ the Son of God we ground it as we should and must upon one thing namely upon the Father's begetting of Christ from all eternity and communicating his own Nature and Essence to him they who oppose lay it upon several things as you have already heard in part and will yet further hear in what follows now we say this cannot be for there can be but one foundation of one and the same relation therefore they must pitch upon some such one foundation and wave all the rest I know what they say Christ upon his Conception c. was the Son of God in a way of inchoation but upon his Resurrection and Exaltation he was the Son of God in a way of consummation I reply 1. Then the Texts urged before are out of doors and signifie little or nothing for they only prove that Christ upon his Conception and Sanctification and Mission began to be a Son of God but he was not so indeed fully and properly for there must be yet something more which must follow after to compleat and consummate his Sonship 2. This is a very strange and most ungrounded distinction it arguing a growth and progress in Christ's Sonship for which there is not the least warrant from the Word of God we read of Christ's * Luke 2.52 increasing in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and Man but we never read of his increasing in his Sonship that admitted of several manifestative evidences as to us but not of several perfective degrees as to it self Even the Sonship of Believers at the first moment of their Conversion is entire and full they may grow and be more perfect in their Gifts Graces Comforts but as to their Covenant-state and Relation to God that 's compleat at the first and admits of no further addition And shall the Sonship of the blessed Son of God be a partial imperfect progressive thing neither the glory of the Person nor the nature of the Relation it self will bear such a thing 2. Secondly nothing more evident than that Christ was the Son of God before his Resurrection Matth. 3.17 Lo a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased was not this witness given of Christ before his Resurrection Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but gave him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Christ here is called God's own Son which must be understood of him before his Resurrection for the Father 's not sparing of him was antecedent to that and yet then he was his own Son otherwise how could it be said that God spared not his own Son Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Son of the living God was not this Confession made by Peter before Christ's Resurrection I might go much higher in the dating of Christ's Sonship than meerly before his Resurrection but that is high enough to show the falsity of what is asserted by the Adversary 3. We say Christ was * Non quod tum Filins Dei esse caeperit qui ab aeterno fuerat sed quia tunc res aliqua fieri dicitur quando talis cognoscitur seu tum demum dicitur facta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum fuit facta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Portus contra Ostorod cap. 9. p. 67. declared and manifested but not made or constituted the Son of God by his Resurrection So the Apostle himself states it Rom. 1.4 Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection from the dead that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is truly rendred by declared is sufficiently proved by many 'T is one thing to be made God's Son another thing to be declared God's Son the First Christ had from his eternal Generation 't was only the Second that he had from his Resurrection You read Vers 19. of this Chapter of the manifestation of the Sons of God Believers are not made the Sons of God when they enter upon the glorified estate but they are then manifested both to be the Sons of God as also what their glory is upon their being so 1 Joh. 3.2 Now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him mark it the relation it self is present now we are the Sons of God but the dignity and glory which is to follow upon this relation that doth not yet appear but hereafter it shall So here Christ was the Son of God long before his resurrection but the manifestation thereof was when God raised him from the dead till then his Sonship and Glory had been very much vail'd and hid but then it broke
both yet not the same Person When we speak of the communicating of the Divine Essence from the First to the Second and Third Persons we must be understood as was before hinted to speak this of them as Persons or as they are personally considered for that Essence simply and absolutely considered is not communicated to the Son and Spirit but only as it subsists in them as such Persons the Godhead it self they have in and from themselves but their distinct Personalities in which the Godhead subsists are of the Father It being thus from hence it follows that according to the distinction of the Persons there must also be a distinct communication of the divine Essence not that there is one Essence in the Son and another in the Spirit for both are God only that is distinguish'd according to their Personal Consideration and the Personal Properties belonging to them which notwithstanding their oneness in Nature do alwayes remain Well then Christ's Sonship being a Personal thing proceeding not simply from the Divine Essence but as it subsists in the second Person therefore it must be proper and peculiar to him and not common to the Holy Ghost he being another Person and the Divine Nature subsisting in him accordingly with respect to his Personal Properties 2. Because though the same Divine Essence be communicated to both yet not in the same way and manner For though both come from the Father yet 't is in divers respects the Son coming from him by Generation the Spirit by Procession And therefore though both are God and both come from God yet both are not the Sons of God because 't is coming from God in the way of Generation only which entitles to Sonship Thus * Quaeris à me si de substantiâ Patris est Filius de substantiâ Patris est etiam Spiritus Sanctus cur unus Filius sit alius non sit Filius Ego respondeo sive capias sive non capias De Patte est Filius de Patre est Spiritus Sanctus sed ille genitus est iste procedens August contra Maxim lib. 3. cap. 14 Austine answers it Thou askest of me saith he if the Son be of the substance of the Father and the Holy Ghost be of the substance of the Father also why is one the Son and not the Other I answer whether you comprehend it or not the Son is of the Father the Holy Ghost is of the Father but the Son is begotten the Spirit proceeds Thus this great Divine did solve this difficulty stopping here and going no further If any will be so curious as to enquire further wherein the difference lies betwixt eternal Generation and eternal Procession I am not asham'd to give them this answer I cannot tell 't is a mystery far above my reach God hath not revealed it and there is nothing in Nature which will give us any light about it therefore it becomes us rather to adore than to be inquisitive I know the Schoolmen who are privy to all secrets and have a key to open every difficulty though it be lock'd up never so close attempt the opening of it but they had better have let it alone here humble ignorance is better than sawey curiosity I think * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hujus differentiae scire credi ex divina revelatione At 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est nobis incomprehensibile ineffabile Alting Theolog. Prolem loc 3. Problem 38. p. 238. they speak best who say we know and believe there is a difference 'twixt Generation and Procession but what that is and wherein it lies that is to us incomprehensible 'T is time therefore for me to leave this Point and to come to the Application of the main Truth Is Christ thus God's own Son I infer then Use 1. Three Things inferr'd from Christ's Sonship 1. That he is God 1. That he is God Not a meer titular or nuncupative God not a God by Office only not a made God a contradiction in the adject but he is God truly properly essentially Which great Truth is most strongly asserted and proved by various convincing Arguments against Jews Arrians Socinians all the Opposers of it I must not engage in so vast a Subject I 'le only argue from this Relation wherein Christ stands to God as he is his own Son which indeed by its self is sufficient if there was nothing more to demonstrate his Godhead He who is the true Son of God and such a Son of God is truly God but Christ is the true Son of God and such a Son of God his own Son therefore he is truly God c. The Apostle joyns the true Son and the true God together therefore the Argument is good 1 Joh. 5.20 We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal Life I do not say that every Son of God is God for the Saints are Sons and yet not God but I say he who is such a Son as God's own proper natural consubstantial coessential only begotten Son he is God where-ever this Sonship is there 's the Deity or the Divine Essence now Christ is thus God's Son therefore he is God What the Father is as to his Nature that the Son must be also now the first Person the Father of Christ is God whereupon he too who is the Son must be God also A Son alwayes participates of his Fathers Essence there is betwixt them more an identity and oneness of Nature if therefore Christ be Gods Son as hath been fully proved he must then needs have * Nisi esset Jesus Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturâ Deus non esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturâ seu Naturalis Dei Filius Cloppenb Anti-Smalc c. 3. p. 72. Vide Jacob ad Portum contra Ostorod c. 9. p. 59. Estwick against Bidale p. 442 c. that very Nature and Essence which God the Father hath in somuch that if the second Person be not really a God the first Person is but equivocally a Father Therefore he himself tells us †Job 10.30 I and my Father are one where he is speaking of a far higher oneness than that of Consent or Will only Christ being both the natural Son of God and also his Son by eternal Generation that makes the thing unquestionable for what is that Generation but the Fathers communicating of his own Nature and Essence to him This is that which is done in all Generations for Generation is alwayes the production of another in the same Nature * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epiph. Haeres 69. p. 750. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phot. Ep. p. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Najanz Orat. 35. tom 1. p. 568. like ever begets like as 't is said of Adam he
be adored by Faith not to be comprehended by Reason Isa 53.8 Who shall declare his Generation I may make use of this Text though possibly the Generation mention'd in it be not that which I am treating of for I much incline to think that it here notes that numerous issue and seed that Christ should have upon the Preaching of the Gospel rather than his being eternally begotten by the Father yet 't is very well known that several of the FATHERS take it in the latter sense they making this to be the meaning of the words Who can be able to understand in himself or to declare to others the hidden ineffable incomprehensible Generation of the Son of God surely none can Without controversie this as well as Christ's Incarnation is a * 1 Tim. 3.16 great mystery Nicodemus was a knowing man yet strangely puzzled at the Regeneration of Believers Joh. 3.4 How can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born certainly the eternal Generation of God's own Son is a thing much more abstruse and unsearchable And there are riddles in Natural generation which we cannot resolve Eccles 11.5 As thou knowest not the way of the spirit nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child * Vide Najanz Orat. 35. t. 1. p. 566 567. now are we so much at a loss and non-plus there how much more shall we be at a loss when the far more unconceivable Generation of Christ is before us O therefore I advise you to be very humble and sober in all your disquisitions about that There are two things in Reason which you must alwayes oppose and beat down viz. the curiosity of it for it loves dearly to be prying into God's Ark into things which he sees good to lock up from the Creature and the pride of it for it also loves to sit upon the bench as Judge of the matters of Faith to be giving out its decrees and edicts as to believing or not believing now do not you give way to it in either of these respects in your most earnest desires after knowledge still keep within the compass of what the Word reveals and let the Word alone command and order your Faith and especially in such profound mysteries as that which I am upon see that these two things be done by you When I consider the several nice and curious Questions which * Non dubito asserere quando in Scholasticorum Quaestiones de his rebus incido quin in totidem salebras labyrinthos Syrtes Charybdes ipsaque adeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incidere mihi videar Quantò satius tutiusque est intra Scripturae limites se arcte continere sapere nolle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Episcop Inst Theol. lib. 4. cap. 33. sect 2. Some have rais'd and discuss'd about the Generation of the Son of God I cannot but stand and wonder at the pride and sauciness of the Wit of man and so far I do concur with that Learned person in his severe censure upon these men What is more than the thing it self the Father's communicating of his own Nature and Essence to Christ we must humbly submit to be ignorant of by soaring too high we shall but scortch and hurt our selves 2. In your eying of God the Father's active Generation of Christ take heed of all gross Conceptions about it so as not in the least to measure it by or to parallel it with any Physical or Carnal Generation Our apprehensions must be rightly informed about this otherwise what absurd and wretched notions shall we run our selves upon So far as there is that in common Generations which speaks goodness and perfection so far you make use of them to help you in your conceiving of the Divine Generation of the Son of God but there being much in them which speaks defect and imperfection all that you must praesâ—ind and cut off and lay aside when you are thinking of that Generation which is the ground of Christ's Sonship As for instance for like to beget like for one thing to conveigh its nature and substance to another this is good in Physical Generations and so far they may be improved to shadow out unto us the mystery of God's eternal generation But now there being sundry other respects which carry imperfection in them these you must be sure to keep out of your thoughts and by no means to conceive by them of that which I am upon As in our knowledge and conceptions of God by the Creatures we pick out of them what is good and perfect and lay aside what is evil and imperfect and so by them we ascend to know and conceive of God so we must do in Natural and Physical Generations with respect to God the Father's supernatural and hyperphysical Generation of Christ To shew the * Of this see Zanch. de tribus Elohim lib. 5. cap. 8. p. 254. Alting Theol. Elenct p. 170 171. Estwick against Biddle p. 443. Dr. Rearson on the Creed p. 275. c. difference betwixt these two let me particularize in a few things without much enlarging upon them Natural Generation upon the failing of individuals is necessary for the preservation of the species in God the Father's begetting of Christ it was quite otherwise In natural Generation there is multiplication there though the thing begetting and the thing begotten have the same nature and essence yet numerically they are not the same but in the Father's begetting of Christ these as the Learned prove are perfectly one and the same they have not only the same specifical but the same numerical Essence here as the divine Essence was not divided so neither was it multiplied for 't is as incapable of multiplication as of division Natural Generation in the Creature is a transient act that in God was an immanent act In Natural Generation the thing begetting precedes the thing begotten and begets that which is after it in time in God the Father's Generation of Christ it was not so both Father and Son being coeternal In Natural Generation there must be such a time before things arrive at their prolifick vertue far be it from us to entertain such a thought as to the Father's Generation of Christ So that you see there is a vast disparity betwixt these two and therefore you must in your apprehensions reverently distinguish betwixt them and not in common judge of the one by the other God forbid that you should so sadly mistake Though the Father's communicating of the Divine Essence to the Son was a true and proper Generation so far agreeing with Generations amongst us yet in other respects it was quite of another nature and so you are to conceive of it otherwise you will entertain very gross and unworthy thoughts of God 3. Joyn Study and Prayer together Would you know Christ as the eternal Son of God especially would you go beyond
of God You find in Scripture that saving Faith is described by its special reference to Christ as standing in this relation so Gal. 2.20 The life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me why doth the Apostle thus express it by the Faith of the Son of God I answer partly because Christ the Son of God is the efficient and * Heb. 12.2 author of faith partly because this Son is the great Object of faith and partly because Faith in its essential act doth very much eye Christ as thus related to the Father for 't is a believing or relying upon him as the Son of God 'T is very usual in the Gospel where it speaks of believing to mention Christ with it as standing in this relation 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him as the only begotten Son should not perish but have everlasting life O what a person is Gods own Son for Sinners to believe on what an all-sufficient Saviour how able to * Heb. 7.25 save to the utmost must he needs be who is God and Man the Son of God and the Son of Man And indeed 't is not enough barely to believe on Christ but there must be such a believing on him as may in some measure be answerable to this his relation is he God's own Son at what a rate should we believe what a faith should we act upon him what great things should we expect for him and from him can any thing be too high for our faith when we have the proper natural Son of God in our eye as its basis and foundation Saints should have their faith raised not only upon the encouragement of the Promises but also upon the consideration of Christ's Person as he is so near and dear to God I have formerly observed how our Apostle in the Text rises higher and higher in the setting forth of the Love of God he sayes God sent there was Love he sent his own Son there was more Love this own Son he sent in the likeness of sinful flesh there was yet more Love and this he did for this end that he might for sin condemn sin in the Flesh c. there was the very top and zenith of Love Now as there is a rise in these things in the setting off the Love of God so there is also a rise in them in their several engagements and encouragements to us to believe in Christ and to believe in him yet more and more firmly and fiducially he was sent therefore we must believe he was and is God's own Son therefore we must the rather and the more strongly believe he took our flesh here 's an higher argument for an higher faith in that flesh he condemned sin performed all that the Law commanded suffered all that the Law threatned what a faith doth this call for Now if notwithstanding all this it shall yet be either no believing or but faint-believing both will be sad though in a great disparity for the faint-believing is unanswerable to what is reveal'd and uncomfortable to the Saint but the no-believing is damnable to the Sinner 3. Branch of the Exhortation To honour Christ 3. Thirdly is Christ God's own Son how then should all honour and adore him certainly upon this Sonship the highest yea even divine adoration it self is due to him Is he a Son such a Son the Son of such a Father the greatness of his Person arising from that high and near relation wherein he stands to God calls for the highest respect reverence veneration which Angels or Men can possibly give unto him Besides this 't is the absolute Will of the Father that all should * Joh. 5.23 honour his Son even as they honour himself for he having the same Nature and Essence with the Father the Father will have him have the same honour which he himself hath which whosoever deny's to him reflects dishonour upon the Father who will not bear any thing derogatory to the glory of his Son 'T is a known * Nicephor lib. 12. cap. 9. Sozom. l. 7. c. 6. story that of the carriage of Amphilochius to the Emperour Theodosius he had petitioned the Emperour to be severe against the Arrians to discountenance and suppress them because in their Opinions they did so much disparage the Son of God but could not prevail whereupon he made use of this device coming one day into the presence of the Emperour and of his Son Arcadius who now ruled joyntly with his Father he made his humble obeysance to the Emperour himself and shewed him all reverence but as for his Son he passed him by shewed him no respect at all rather dealt derisorily with him stroking him upon his head and saying to him in a way of contempt Salve tu Fili The Emperour upon this was much offended sharply reproves Amphilochius for his affront to his Son c. whereupon the good man vindicates his carriage plainly telling the Emperour he had given reverence enough to his Son And now the Emperour was more incens'd commands him with great indignation to be thrust out of his presence c. which whilst some was doing Amphilochius turn'd himself to the Emperour and said thus O Emperour thou being but a man canst not bear the contempt or disparagement of thy Son how dost thou think the great God can bear that contempt of his Son which the Arrians cast upon him the Emperour was much affected at this begg'd the Bishop's pardon commended his ingeny and did that now which he refus'd to do before The inference is undenyable if great Men stand so much upon the giving of all honour and due observance to their Sons much more will the Great God stand upon the giving of all due Honour and Reverence to his own and only Son O therefore let Christ be highly adored and honoured by you If you ask me how I answer every honouring of him is not sufficient but it must be such as may suit with his infinite Majesty and Greatness you must conceive of him as God as the Natural and eternal Son of God and according to that honour which is due to him as such so you must honour him The Apostle speaks of some * Rom. 1.21 who when they knew God they did not glorifie him as God so some pretend to give some glory to Christ but they do not glorifie him as God O this is that which you must come up to to adore and reverence Christ in such a manner
hard as that the power of the Son of God cannot effect it and what can be so high as that the Obedience of the Son of God cannot merit it Had Christ been only the Son of Man then indeed Faith could not have bore up with such confidence but he being the Son of God also and having the Nature Essence Attributes of God how may Faith triumph as to the efficacy and meritoriousness of his obedience 'T was the blood of God which he shed Acts 20.28 O what a greatness and * Superest ut poena illa Fidejussoris nostri pretio dignitate atque merito foret infinita id quod allter fieri non potuit quam si Persona patiens foret ipsa infinita Nam ut Pèccati c. Vid. Thes Salmur de Christo Mediat parte 1. th 13. p. 246. infiniteness of Merit must needs result from the greatness and infiniteness of such a Person Heb. 9.13 14. If the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the Flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the Living God 4. You may go boldly to the throne of Grace upon all occasions For you have God's own Son to lead you thither and to make way for you and not only so but this own Son improves all his interest in and with the Father for your good why are you afraid to go to God Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God c. let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need 5. You need not in the least question the prevalency of Christ's intercession Doth Christ intercede and shall he not prevail will not the Father hear such a Son Suppose he may deny you which he will not yet surely he will not deny his own and onely Son Christ upon this relation may ask any thing and he shall have it mark the connexion Psal 2.7 I will declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee what follows now upon this why Vers 8. Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession God thinks nothing too much for this Son when he asks it of him and 't is the same when he asks for you as when he asks for himself therefore fear not but that your Prayers shall be graciously answered Christ himself interceding for you when the Kings own Son carrys the Petition doubtless it shall be granted 6. This is the Person to whom you are mystically united and therefore his Glory and Greatness reflects a Glory and Greatness upon you You are in Christ not only as he is the Son of Man but as he is the Son of God also for the Vnion is terminated not in this or that Nature but in the whole Person the Apostle therefore takes special notice of this 1 Joh. 5.20 We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ O to be in this Son there 's the glory and safety of a believer I have done with this high and most Evangelical Truth The Lord Jesus is God's own Son upon which I have been somewhat large partly because of the excellency of the Argument it self and partly because of the great opposition made against it 2 Joh. 3. Grace be with you mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in truth and love ROM 8.3 c. In the likeness of sinful Flesh CHAP. XII Of Christ's Incarnation and abasement in Flesh A Fourth General in the Words handled Why the Apostle is so express in the further adding of these Words to the former Five things laid down for the explication of them Flesh not taken here in the same sense with Flesh in what went before A double Synecdoche in the word Flesh Christ did not bring Flesh from Heaven with him but assum'd it here on Earth His sending in Flesh was not his taking a meer humane shape c. Likeness to be joyn'd not with Flesh but with sinful Flesh Two Propositions rais'd from the Words Of the First that Christ was sent in Flesh What his sending in Flesh imports this opened more strictly and more largely Of Marcion and Others who denied the verity of Christ's Incarnation and Body That proved as to both as also the verity of his whole Manhood Of his having a true Soul Of his submitting to the common adjuncts and infirmities of Flesh How the Humane Nature in Christ and in us differ His Incarnation not impossible not incredible The Reasons of it 1. That the Old-Testament Prophecies Promises Types might thereby receive their accomplishment 2. That Christ might be qualified for his Office as Mediator and the work of Redemption 3. Because it was the fittest and the best way in order to the redeeming of man Seven Propositions laid down for the due stating and opening of Christ's Incarnation As 1. That Christ who before was the eternal Son of God and had a praevious existence was made Flesh this made good against the SOCINIANS 2. That the Second Person only was incarnate 3. That this was not done till the fulness of time 4. That 't was not the divine Essence absolutely considered which assumed Flesh but that Essence considered as subsisting in the Second Person 5. That the Nature assuming was the Divine Nature 6. That the Humane Nature was so assum'd as to subsist in the Divine and that both of these Natures make but one Person where the Hypostatical Union is opened and prov'd 7. 'T is probable that if Adam had not fallen Christ had not been sent in the Flesh Of the Second Proposition That Christ was sent in the likeness yet but in the likeness of sinful Flesh Of the Sanctity of Christ's Humane Nature The Grounds thereof Use 1. To inform 1. Of the excellency of the Gospel and of the Christian Religion As also 2. Of the excellency of Christ's Flesh or Manhood Use 2. Wherein several Duty 's are urged upon Christians as namely 1. To give a full and firm assent to the Truth of Christ's Incarnation and also firmly to adhere to Christ as having assumed our Flesh where something is spoken against those who make little of a Christ in Flesh but are all for a Christ within 2. To be much in the study and contemplation of Christ incarnate 3. To adore the Mystery it self and also the Father and the Son in the Mystery 4. To endeavour after the powerful influence of it
several other Texts in order to the more undeniable proving of the Proposition before us as also to answer the various replyes evasions misinterpretations about them by such who dissent and yet I could most willingly engage therein did I think such an undertaking would be proper in such a Discourse as this or tend to the advantage of any but the truth is I fear I should but perplex private Christians with things that possibly would be too high for them and I 'm sure I should do that which is needless for Others who know where this is * Arnold Catech. Racov. major p. 27◠Galov Socin proflig p. 285. Cocceius against Socin in cap. 1. Joh. cap. 15. Bisterf against Crellius p. 564. Jacob. ad Portum against Ostorod p. 166. Owen against Biddle ch 13. p. 289. c. done already And indeed the whole matter in this Controversie is by Crellius himself brought into a narrow compass wherein we are very willing to joyn issue with him for he grants if Christ did praeexist before he was incarnate that then his incarnation must needs be believ'd and own'd according to our stating of it but I have * See p. 284. c. already proved and Others do it much more fully that he did so praeexist therefore upon that Concession the thing is clear and I need say no more upon it Only let me leave this one word with our Opposers their Homo Deus factus is the greatest falshood but our Deus Homo factus is the greatest truth 2. Prop. Christ the Second Person only was incarnate The second Proposition is this that Christ the Son of God the second Person in the ineffable Trinity he only was incarnate 'T is here said God sending his own Son in the likeness c. the taking then of flesh was that personal act which was proper to the Son alone and in that so often alledged Text 't is said * Joh. 1.14 the Word was made flesh which Title the Word is never attributed to the Father or to the Spirit but alwayes to the Son and you see he 's the person who was made flesh 'T is true Incarnation was the act of the whole Trinity approbativè but 't was only the Son's act terminativè all the Persons approved of it and * Sola persona Filii incarnata est operante tamen eandem incarnationem totâ Sanctâ Trinitate cujus opera sunt inseparabilia August Quest de Trinit tom 3. p. 1040. Vid. Anselm de Incam Verbi cap. 3. 4. concurred to it but it was terminated only in Christ the second Person The Schoolmen compare Christ's Flesh to a garment made by three Virgin-sisters which yet but One of them only wears A †See Lombard lib. 3. Dist 1. Dr. Jackson on the Creed 7th Book p. 255. Question is commonly here started why the second Person rather than the first or the third was thus incarnate which Some do venture to answer by assigning the Reasons of it I humbly conceive there is too much of curiosity in the Question and too much of boldness in the Answer why Christ was incarnate I can give several Reasons but why he rather than the other Persons there I must be silent 'T is also query'd * Of this see Zanchy de tribus Elohim l. 5. c. 6. p. 546. c. Tilen de Incarn Filii Dei Disp 1. Sect. 20. Aug. Serm. 3. de Temp. there being such an oneness betwixt all the Persons how the Son can be said to assume the Humane Nature and yet the Father and Spirit not assume it to which the Answer is obvious this difference might very well be upon that personal distinction which is betwixt them for this assumption of flesh being not the act of the Nature which is common but of the Person which is limited the second Person might so assume and yet the other Persons not 3. Prop. Christ not incarnate till the fulness of time Thirdly Christ's incarnation was in time and not till the fulness of time He was alwayes God for he that is not alwayes God is never God the Divine Essence admitting neither of beginning nor end but he was not * Neque enim Caro issa quae ex came Virginis nata est semper fuit sea Deus qui semper fuit ex carne Virginis in carne Hominis advenit Cassian de Incar Dom. Lib. 6. alwayes man there never was a time in which he was not God but there was a time in which he was not Man His Generation as the Son of God was eternal but his Generation as the Son of Man was but temporal In the fulness of time God sent his Son made of a woman c. Gal. 4.4 The Evangelist sets him forth in his two Natures Joh. 1. with respect to his Divine Nature he shews that he was from everlasting In the beginning was the Word c. the same was in the beginning with God c. then he comes to his Humane Nature and that he shews was in time the Word was made Flesh he was not so ab aeterno but he was made so in time In such a sense Christ may be said to be incarnate from all eternity viz. in regard of God's eternal parpose and decree as in reference to that he is said to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 but as to the actuality of his Incarnation that was but 1600 and odd years ago A double enquiry here will be made As 1. if this was deferr'd so long what then became of those who lib'd and dy'd before Christ was inearnate The efficacy and benefit of Christ's Incarnation to those who lived before it if that was so necessary as hath been shown what became of the Patriarchs of all who liv'd under the Law before that was in being I answer they had the merit virine benefit of the thing though they had not the thing it self for God having decreed it and Christ having covenanted and ingaged to the Father that in the fulness of time he would take flesh the Father all-along look'd upon it as actually done and accordingly dealt with Believers under the Law as though it had been actually done insomuch that they had the same benefit by a Christ in Flesh which we now have Therefore 't is said Rom. 3.25 Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God Heb. 9.15 For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the trrnsgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Whatever our Lord is now since the actual exhibition of him he was the same before effectively and virtually for 't is Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8
We read Mark 11.9 They that went before and they that followed cryed saying Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Believers who liv'd before Christ's incarnation and they who follow since both are equally obliged to magnifie God for him both receiving the same benefit by him 2. It may be enquired Why Christ was incarnate just when he was why at this very Epocha or period of time rather than at any other was Christ incarnate why not either before or after but just then Answ why because it was that very time which God had set therefore called the fulness of time Gal. 4.4 He that is pleas'd to set the time for other things as for the Churches deliverances Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come Psal 102.13 and so in several Other cases surely he was pleas'd to set the time for so great a thing as the coming of his own Son in Flesh he in his eternal decree had determin'd the precise time for this which therefore when it was come then Christ came now I say all must be resolv'd into this True there were some more immediate Reasons why he came just when he did he was to come before the Scepter was wholly departed from Judah Gen. 49.10 whilst the Second Temple was standing Hag. 2.6 7 8 9. during the Fourth Monarchy Dan. 2.44 Daniel's 70 weeks were almost expired Dan. 9.24 there was a general expectation raised in the world of the coming of the Messias as might easily be made out Now with respect to these things the Lord Jesus came at that very period of time whereat he did but they all falling out but in compliance with and subordination to the Decree of God therefore the determination of the time of Christ's Coming and Incarnation must ultimately be resolv'd into that O he came just when he did neither sooner nor later because the Father had appointed that very time Prop. 'T was not the Divine Essence absolutely considered which assumed Flesh but that Essence considered as subsisting in the Second Person 4. 'T was not the Divine Nature or Essence simply and absolutely considered which assumed Flesh but it was that * Tota igitur Natura Divina fuit incarnata sed non quatenus absolutè in se consideratur ut omnibus Personis communis sed quatenus personalibus proprietatibus seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Personâ Filii determinata coâ—sideratur Davenant in Col. 2.9 p. 240. Solus Filius suscepit humanitatem in singularitatem Personae non in unitatem Naturae Divinae Concil Tolet. Neque enim Divina Natura si propriè accuratè loqui velimus sed Persona Divina assumsit Naturam Humanam Divina quidem Natura unitur Humanae sed eam nòn assumsit assumere enim non est Naturae sed Suppositi Bisterf contra Crell p. 565. Vide Alting Theol. Problem p. 562. 577. Nature considered as subsisting in the Second Person If this restriction and stating of the Point be not admitted we cannot avoid our holding the Incarnation was common to all the Persons contrary to what the Church hath ever held and to what was asserted but even now therefore when 't is said †1 Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the Flesh you are to understand God in the Personal not in the Essential notion Prop. The Nature assuming was the Divine Nature 5. The Nature assuming was the Divine Nature that being considered as was laid down in the forgoing Proposition The Manhood did not assume the Godhead but the Godhead it * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc de Orthod Fide lib. 3. cap. 2. p. 167. Man did not become God but God became Man 't is not said that †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. de Inc. Christi t. 1. p. 612. the Flesh was made the Word but the Word was made Flesh this is a thing so unquestionable that the very naming of it is enough Prop. That the Humane Nature was so assum'd as to subsist in the Divine that both Natures make butâ— one Person 6. The Lord Jesus the eternal Son of God God blessed for ever did so assume the Humane Nature as in a most mysterious and unconceivable manner to unite it upon the first framing or forming of it to his Divine Nature and to give that a subsistence in this so as that both do make but one Person the Essence Properties Operations of both Natures yet remaining the same without either conversion or confusion Here the Hypostatical Vnion is both asserted and and also described for wherein doth the nature of that Vnion consist but in that which is here laid down Of the Hypostatical Vnion Of it you read Col. 2.9 In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily i. e. Personally and Hypostatically Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever here 's both the Natures of Christ and both in him making but one Person upon the personal conjunction of which he 's call'd Emmanuel God with us Matth. 1.23 But not to insist upon the Proof of this Vnion which all but INFIDELS and SOCINIANS do believe The mysteriousness thereof I will endeavour as well as I can rather to explain and open it an undertaking which I enter upon the Lord knows with great fear and dread because of the loftiness and mysteriousness of the thing to be opened O 't is a thing so sublime and mysterious as that it transcends the capacity of Angels and Men how then shall I be able to speak of it or to it Take whom you will single out a Person of the sharpest wit the profoundest judgment the most elevated reason let all the most raised abilities concur in him and then set the Hypostatical Vnion before this person alas poor man how will he be puzzl'd nonplus'd unable to fathom so great a depth as this is And well he may since 't is the mystery of mysteries one of the first magnitude than which by a narrow intellect none more hard to be conceiv'd of or understood 'T is indeed sure and certain to Faith which believes it because God reveals it which readily answers all Objections and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr solves all difficulties about it by resting on divine revelation but if Reason beyond its proper bounds will be prying into and judging of a thing so abstruse its blindness as well as its boldness will soon appear its bucket will not go to the bottom of a Well so deep its line is too short to measure such heights breadths lengths depths as are here to be found I do not in the least wonder that they who make Reason to be the supream Judge of matters of Faith do throw off the belief of this mystery for though it be not at all contrary to reason
hurt it had done before and remov'd that in it which was of so hurtful a nature What was that I answer its guilt O that 's an hurtful thing indeed it binds the Sinner over to answer at God's tribunal for all the evils commited by him exposes him to the Wrath of the great God renders him lyable to a Sentence of eternal death but now it pleased God for sin to condemn sin i.e. by Christ's being a Sacrifice to expiate this guilt of sin which in it self was so pernicious and hurtful so that believers should not lie under it or eternally suffer for it Now this is that explication of the Word which is most commonly given by the best * Damnatio peccati nos in juslitiam asseruit quia deleto reatu absolvimur uti nos Deus justos reputet Calvin with many Others Beza dissents Non mihi facilè persuaserim de peccatorum expiatione hic agi est enim pars illa jam pridem ab Apostolo explicata adeo ut à v. 12. c. 5. aliud Argumentum sit exorsus Expositors and I prefer it before the former upon these Reasons 1 As to the abolishing of Sins power that the Apostle had spoken to already in the foregoing verse the Law of the Spirit c. and he instances in the Spirit there as he doth in the Son here Now according to what was said before as 't is the proper act of the Spirit to free from Sins power therefore that must be understood there so 't is the proper act of the Son to free from Sins guilt therefore that must be understood here 2 The Word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all along in Scripture points to the guilt of sin and the punishment inflicted thereupon never to its power or dominion for the proof of which several Texts might be cited if it was deny'd 'T is usually apply'd to the Sinner here only if I well â—emember 't is apply'd to sin it self and in this different application it carries a different sense for as 't is elsewhere apply'd to the Sinner it notes the imputation of guilt to him and the passing of a condemnatory sentence upon him for that guilt but as 't is here apply'd to sin it notes the expiation or abolition of its guilt yet this doth not wealien what I have said because in both references though in a different sense it still points to guilt and punishment which is enough for my purpose 3 The Apostle speaks of that abolition of Sin which was effected in Christ's Flesh therefore it must be understood of the abolition of its guilt rather than of its power that being the thing which was most directly and immediately done in Christ's Flesh 4 'T is that condemning sin which is for sin i.e. by a Sacrifice for sin wherefore it must be taken in that sense which best suits with what was done in and by Sacrifices Now they abolished sin not so much by turning men from it or by lessening its power though that might follow as a Consequent upon them as by the * This proved in Essenius de Satisf Christi c. 8. p. 422. Turretin de Sat. c. part 6. p. 202 Dr. O. against B. P. 574. expiating of its guilt this was the proper and primary effect of the Leâ—itical Sacrifices in allusion to which when Christ the true Sacrifice is said to purge away sin to purifie c. you are to understand those expressions as respecting the expiation of Sins guilt as I shall have occasion further to prove in what will follow For these reasons though I would not exclude wholly the former sense yet I prefer this before it In the punishing of it in Christ's person 3. There is a * See Pareus in loc in Dub. 3. p. 779. Condemnare perpetuò significat Apostolo poenas peccati irrogare Damnare pec catum est illud dignum poenà judicare paenasque pro eo exigere Contzen his sense of the Word justified by Calov Socin profl p. 433. third interpretation put upon the Word namely God's condemning sin was his punishing of it in Christ's person or his exacting of Christ that punishment which was due to the Sinner himself For this Condemning must be joyn'd with that which follows in the Flesh and expounded by that and then the meaning will be this For sin God condemned sin in the flesh that is he fell upon sin severely punish'd it inflicted the curse and punishment due to us for it in and upon the Person of his own Son he †Isa 53.6 laid the iniquities of Believers upon Christ and then punished them in him so that he bore that penalty which Sinners themselves should have undergone God did of him in our Nature paenas peccato debitas exigere or maledictionem nobis debitam irrogare Man having fin'd either he himself or his surety must suffer the punishment thereby deserv'd God will have sin punnish'd somewhere therefore Christ having put himself into the Sinners stead he must bear the punishment due to the Sinner for though God will so far ‖ See of God's relaxing his Law and the threatning thereof Mr. Baxter Aphor. p. 36. c. Mr. Burgesse of Justif p. 84. relax his Law as to admit of a substitution or commutation as to the Person suffering yet he will have its penalty inflicted either upon the proper Offender himself or upon the Saviour who was willing to interpose for the Offender so as to suffer what he should have suffered and God accordingly dealing withhim and proceeding against him in the laying of the punishment due for Sin upon him this was his condemning Sin in the flesh of Christ I am not now to prove the truth of the thing of that hereafter at present I 'me only shewing how 't is held forth in the Word which I am opening so much for the first thing what this condemning of Sin is How Sin is said to be condem'd for Sin 2. The Second thing that needs explaination is the condemning sin for sin what may our Apostle mean by this for sin * Contra duas Pelagian Ep. l. 3. c. 6. Austine gives a threefold sense of it 1. For sin that is by that flesh which look'd like to sinful flesh which therefore might be called sin since as he saith the resemblances of things do usually pass under the names of the things which they resemble by that flesh sin was condemn'd 2. For Sin he makes to be as much as by a Sacrifice for Sin 3. He expounds it of the Sin of the Jews not as heightning it in which sense all the Greek Expositors take it but as pointing to the effect of it by that sin of theirs in crucifying Christ eventually Sin was condemn'd or expiated But these things must be further enquired into The double Reading of Sin and for Sin both opened 'T is in our Translation exactly as 't is in the Original equally concise in both and
't is called Zech. 9.11 all blessings whatsoever are insured and made over to God's people and if so is not that a sufficient ground of comfort to such What shall I say if the atoning of an angry God the washing away of all sin the fulfilling of a righteous Law the satisfying of infinite Justice the ratification of the Covenant of Grace the purchase of Heaven if there be any thing in all these things as surely there is to promote spiritual joy you have them all by this great Sacrifice therefore rejoyce and again I say rejoyce So much for this Head which I very well know I might have dispatch'd with much more brevity but it containing that matter in it which is not commonly so fully opened and which is of so high concern to us therefore I have been thus large upon it ROM 8.4 That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us CHAP. XIV Of the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness in Believers Of the Second End or Effect of Christ's being sent in Flesh viz. the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness A general explication of the main Scope of the Words and of the principal matter contain'd in them More particularly 't is enquired 1. Of what Law doth the Apostle hear speak 2. What is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or righteousness of the Law 3. What is it to fulfil the Laws righteousness 4. How the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us Four interpretations given of it 1. That 't is perfectly and personally fulfilled by the Saints themselves 2. That 't is personally fulfilled in them though not perfectly yet inchoately and in respect of God's acceptation 3. That 't is perfectly but not personally fulfilled in them Christ's Obedience and perfect fulfilling of the Law being imputed to them 4. That 't is fulfilled in them in respect of the remission of sin Three Propositions laid down to clear up the third interpretation and the main Truth As 1. That Christ was made under the Law that opened in some Particulars 2. That Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law 3. That his fulfilling of it is imputed and reckoned to Believers Two Questions raised and answered Whether Christ's active and passive Obedience or his passive only be imputed In what sense may it be said to be imputed Use 1. First to shew upon what terms Believers are justified and saved Secondly what a respect God had for his Law Use 2. To exhort persons 1. To get an interest in this priviledge 2. Such as have an interest in it are exhorted 1. To go as far as ever they may in the personal fulfilling of the Law 2. To look after the fulfilling of the Evangelical Law in themselves 3. To admire the Love of Christ Use 3. The Comfort of this drawn forth to Believers The Second End or Effect of Christ's being sent in Flesh viz. the fulfilling of the Law for Believers THese words hold forth another end or effect of Christ's being sent in the likeness of sinful flesh for I do not understand them to refer to the Clause immediately foregoing and for sin condemned sin in the flesh as if they were an assignation of the end or effect of Christ's condemning sin by the Sacrifice of himself but I take them as referring to that which is before spoken of God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as they do represent God's end in that wherefore did God so do what did he design or aim at therein why at this that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us The conjunctive particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the first notion which is most usual and common it carrys a final sense and notes the end why God sent his Son in Flesh namely that he might fulfil in his own Person the Laws righteousness and so imputatively or in a Law-sense Believers in him I say this was God's end for it doth not come in as a bare event or consequent upon Christ's taking our Nature and doing in that Nature what he did but it was the very * Idque totum hoc consilio fecit ut nos perfectè justi coram ipso perficeremur non secus atque illi habiti suissent qui omnia divinae legis praecepta conservassent Vorst end which God designed and propounded to himself therein viz. that Christ might perfectly fulfill the Law which to do to the Saints themselves in their own persons was altogether impossible and yet upon which it being accepted of by God on their behalf and made over to them they should be accounted just and righteous even as if they had fulfilled it in their own persons this is the first import of the word Then it may be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by way of apposition and so it notes the superadding of some further matter and that which is * See Burg. of Justif 2. part p. 361. distinct from what went before in this appositive sense 't is used Joh. 15.12 Joh. 17.3 And so the Apostles meaning is this God sent his Son into the World not only to be a Sacrifice for sin and thereby to condemn sin by his bearing the Laws penalty due to it but also by his active obedience and conformity to the Laws commands to bring things to this that the righteousness of the Law should be fulfilled in believers Christ's being a Sacrifice for sin was not sufficient to answer all the ends and demands of the Law there must be the doing of what it commanded as well as the suffering of what it threatned therefore Christ was sent for both and both were accomplished by him Man in his lapsed state stood in need of two things * Cum duo nobis peperisse Christum dixerimus impunitatem praemium illud Satisfactioni hoc merito Christi distinctè tribuit vetus Ecclesia Satisfactio consistit in peccatorum tralatione meritum in perfectissunâ obedientiae pro nobis praestitae imputatione G. Vossius in Prefat ad Grotium de Sat. Christi In homine lapso duo consideranda quod pro peccatis ejus solvendum fuit ut liberaretur tum ut vitae insuper fieret particeps quod praestari debuit id ad quod vita promissa erat c. Utrumque Apostolus docet conjungit Rom. 8.3 4. c. Hoornb Socin confut l. 3. c. 1. p 657. Satisfaction and Merit Satisfaction with respect to God's punitive Justice the expiation of sin by the undergoing of the punishment incurr'd by it c. Merit with respect to eternal life and the possession of the heavenly blessedness the measure and foundation of which Merit was the fulfilling of the Law in active obedience Now both of these are here distinctly spoken unto Christ for sin condemned sin in the flesh there 's Satisfaction and he also fulfilled the righteousness of the Law in the stead at leastwise for
thereof He was the end of the Law for righteousness to them that believe c. made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons 2. They say that Christ's fitness for his Mediatory Office did result from his Person from the personal Vnion of the Divine and Humane Natures in him rather than from his active Obedience to the Law for else he could not have been look'd upon as one fit to be a Mediator till he had finished his whole Obedience to the Law whereas from the first instant of the personal Vnion he was fit for that Work and Office 'T was fit nay necessary that Christ the Mediator should conform to the Law but these are two different things what was fit for the Mediator to do and what must fit him to be the Mediator These Ends therefore respecting Christ himself being removed it follows that it was wholly for us that he fulfilled the Law whence then I infer that that must be imputed to us otherwise the end of it would not be attained for without the imputation of it we should neither be the persons designed in it nor profited by it To prevent mistakes and to give this Argument its full strength I would state it thus Whatever Christ did that we were obliged to do and which was to be our righteousness before God that certainly must be imputed to us I do not say that all which Christ did is strictly and properly imputed to us but whatever he did if we were bound to do it and if the doing of that was to be our righteousness that must be imputed or else we are in a sad case He was incarnate for us yet that is not formally imputed why because Sinners were not under any obligation to any such thing so I might instance in his working of Miracles Intercession c. But now if our Lord will be pleas'd to put himself under the Law and to fulfil the Law that must be made over to us because that was a thing which we our selves according to the capacity of Creatures were bound unto and this was to be our righteousness before God what is so circumstantiated must be imputed therefore this being taken in the Argument is good Several other Arguments are produc'd for the imputation of the active as well as of the passive Obedience As that both together make most for the * See Bodius in Eph. p. 796. glory of Christ and for the ease and †Neque conscientias pacaret aliqua justitiae portio sed perpetuò illas trepidare necesse esset nisi firmiter persuasae forent totam justitiam Legis sibi imputari Polan in Dan. p. 187. comfort of burdened Souls That 't is a mighty loss for Christians to lose Christ's active Obedience and why should it be the active only or the passive only if they may have both quidni utraque saith Pareus himself can we have too much of Christ is not all of him precious and do not we need all Surely the * Certè tutiùs ibit ille qui plus Christo ad majorem gloriam ascribit quod in eo quaerat quà m qui ei quicquam adimit Et qui totam Saivatoris Sponsoris nostri Obedientiam Legi divinae praestitam ampléctitur quam qui praecipuam ejus partem pro justitiâ coram Deo sibi imputari non credit Wegelin Disp de Obed. Christi safest way is to take-in as much of him as ever we warrantably may They who go this way also urge the Consent of the Reformed Churches the Suffrages of several famous Divines as concurring with them that their Opinion hath the advantage of being judg'd the more antient and Orthodox which that excellent person †Noram probe sententiam priorem antiquiorem Orthodoxam magis passim audire Sed re apud me accuratius perpensâ penitiusque perspectâ suo merito ea id audire visa est In Praefat. ad Tract de Justif p. 6. Mr. Bradshaw though he somewhat dissents about the thing doth ingeniously confess But these things I shall pass over if the foregoing Arguments will not convince and satisfie I shall hope for less from these So much for this third Opinion Fourth Opinion Christ's active Obedience imputed as a part of his Satisfaction 4. There is a Fourth Say some the * Bradshaw de Justif in Praefat p. 10. active as well as the passive Obedience of Christ is imputed yet not in the sense of the promoters of the former Opinion but only thus as †Thus Grotius de Sat. c. 6. p. 89. Bradshaw de Justif c. 18. sect 5 6. Mr. Baxters Aphor. p. 54. Great Propit p. 92 93. it was a part of Christ's Satisfaction for the violation of the Law as 't is so considered they say it is imputed but not in any other notion They say Christ's active obeying was satisfactory and meritorious as well as his passive than which nothing more certain And indeed the passive without the active had not been satisfactory or meritorious 't was Christ's ‖ Neque tamen excluditur reliqua pars obedientiae quâ defunctus est in vitâ c. Et sanè in ipsâ i. e. in morte Crucis for that he 's speaking of and doth immediately go before primum gradum occupat voluntaria subjectio quia ad justitiam nihil profuisset Sacrificium nisi sponte oblatum Calvin Instit l. 2. c. 16. sect 5. voluntary subjection to the Will of his Father which was an active thing even in his dying which put such an efficacy into his death Now his active Obedience being thus taken is they grant made over and reckoned to Believers * Gataker Animadv in Lucium p. 1. sect 1. p. 2. Bodius in Ephes p. 798. Others to the same purpose consider Christ's active Obedience two wayes either strictly as active as it lay in conformity to what the Law commanded or as there was humiliation and abasement attending that Obedience in the former respect they deny it to be imputed in the latter they say it is This middle and reconciliatory Opinion is somewhat new and modern and owned as yet but by very few but in those few for their worth and eminency there are very many I shall not set my self to argue or object any thing against it though something might be said upon that account I rejoyce with all my heart that we may have the active Obedience of Christ upon any terms or under any considerations I am so far from arguing against it that I keep it by me as a reserve that if there be not solid and satisfactory Answers to be given to the weighty Objections made against the imputation of Christ's active Obedience as commonly asserted which is to be try'd by and by I may fall in and close with it No more at present therefore about the First Question Of the Second Question How the imputation of
sin is there is matter of condemnation There 's not a man to be found on earth who upon this account and in this sense is not obnoxious and liable to a sentence and state of Condemnation for * 1 Kings 8.46 there is no man that sinneth not * Jam. 3.2 in many things we offend all * 1 Joh. 1.8 if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Besides those actual sins which break forth in external acts which are committed upon deliberation and with consent of which all are more or less guilty I say besides these there is in all a corrupt wicked depraved Nature which Nature puts forth it self in evil motions sinful propensions strong inclinations to what is evil O that Fomes Peccati those Motus Primo-primi as the Schoolmen call them those inward ebullitions of indwelling sin in impure and filthy desires set forth in Scripture by Concupiscence what shall we say to these are not they sinful is there not in them matter of Condemnation if God should enter into judgment and proceed according to the rigour of his Justice and the purity of his Law surely yes If it be prov'd that they are sinful unquestionably then it follows that they expose a person to Condemnation now how full are our Divines in the proof of that Concupiscence the first risings and stirrings of Corrupt Nature even in renewed and regenerate persons are properly and formally sinful whether they consent or not for Consent is not so of the Essence of sin but that there may be sin without it that may have some influence upon the degree but not upon the nature of the thing it self Those evil thoughts and motions in the Heart with which the best are so much pestred are not meer infirmities attending the present state of imperfection but they are plain iniquities there is sin in them The Apostle speaking of them sets the black brand of sin upon them Rom. 7.7 What shall we say then is the Law sin God forbid nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known Lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet The holy Law forbids these inward workings of the sinful Nature as well as the exterior acts of sin therefore they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a breach of that Law and being so therefore they are sinful They flow from sin they tend to sin and yet are they not sin when Lust hath conceiv'd it bringeth forth sin Jam. 1.13 This is the Doctrine of our (a) Art 9. Church of the ancient (b) August lib. 1. contra duas Pelag. Ep. cap. 13. lib. 3. contra Julian cap. 3. with several others cited in Chamier tom 3. lib. 10. c. 10. Fathers of the Body of (c) Vide Cham. tom 3. lib. 10. c. 4. c. Chemn Exam. Decr. 5 Sess p. 93. c. Calv. Instit lib. 3. c. 3. Daven Det. Qu. 1. Ward Determ Theol. p. 136. c. Protestants and they make it good by several Arguments of great strength The (d) The Council of Trent anathematizeth all who hold Concupiscence in renewed persons and after Baptism to be sin Sess 5. Bellarm. de Amiss Grat. lib. 5. cap. 7. Valentia de Pec. Orig. cap. 7 8. Perer. Quaest ad Cap. 7. in Ep. ad Rom. Disput 7 8 9. Papists are wholly of another mind And whereas 't is said here in the Text There is no Condemnation c. they carry it so high as to affirm that in reference to Original Sin the depravation of Nature Concupiscence the inward motions and inclinations of the Heart to sin after Baptism Faith Regeneration there is no matter of Condemnation or nothing damnable in them who are in Christ He that will please to cast his eye upon the (e) Non tam significat nullam esse Condemnationem justificatis in Christo ob Concupiscentiam quà m nihil esse in eis condemnatione dignum Bellarm. de Am. Gr. lib. 5. cap. 7. Tollitur damnatio quantum ad Culpam quantum ad poenam Primus Motus habet quod non sit Peccatum Mortale ex eo quod rationem non attingit in quâ completur ratio Peccati c. Aquin. in loc c. Et consistit differentia in hoc quod inillis justificatis nempe in Christo nihil committitur damnabile propter donum Christi tam externum quam internum Intendit itaque per nullam damnationem nullum actum quo meremur damnari Et dixit hoc ad diffetentiam Primorum Motuum qui sunt etiam apud justificatos in Christo ut intelligamus illos non esle materiam damnationis Primi enim Motus non reddunt Sanctos damnabiles tum ob eorum imperfectionem tum quia absorbentur a copiâ Sanctarum actionum continuarum Cajet in loc Hinc patet nec concupiscentiam nec aliud quippiam in renatis esse peccatum damnatione dignum A-Lap Non quod volo ago c. ex iis sequitur involuntarios esse Concupiscentiae motus in renatis ac justis quibus proinde ad poenam imputari non possint Est Quamvis Caro contra Spiritum insultans molestias exhibeat iis qui sunt in Christo Jesu nihil tamen est in iis damnatiois quia dum non consentiunt non ipsi operantur illud sed peccatum quod per Concupiscentiam habitat in Corde Soto Citations here set down which are taken especially out of their Expositors upon the Text may see that this is the Interpretation which they put upon it What no matter of Condemnation nothing damnable in them who are in Christ this is much too high Our Adversaries I suppose though they deny any merit of Condemnation upon the forementioned things yet surely they will not deny but that sin in its full Act merits Condemnation if they will be so absurd the Apostle plainly determines it Sin when it is finished brings forth death Jam. 1.15 Now is there not too much of this to be found even in Saints in Christ and therefore are not they worthy of Condemnation True indeed Sin whether in the conception or in the finishing is not * Ad haec respondetur dimitti Concupiscentiam Carnis in Baptismo non ut non sit sed ut in peccatum non imputetur Aug. de Nup. Conc. lib. 1. cap. 25. imputed or charged upon them and so there is no Condemnation but yet as considered in its own Nature it merits Condemnation it doth so ex Naturâ rei exjudicio Legis onely 't is not so in point of Fact and in Event ex indultu Gratiae as one expresses it Sin is sin in the Children of God and it merits Condemnation in them as well as in others whence is it then that there is no Condemnation to them meerly from the Grace of God who doth not impute this sin to them As Solomon told Abiathar he was worthy of death yet he
than if God had said I will always be with thee So here as to Propositions when they are laid down in the Negative this form of expression doth add both greatness and certainty at least wise as to us to the matter of them And therefore Paul designing here to set forth the safety and happiness of Believers with the greatest advantage he chuses to express it in the Negative rather than in the Positive The Observat more strictly spoken to These things being premis'd I come now to the more close handling of the Point There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus Here I 'll shew 1. What this Condemnation is which the persons spoken of are secured from 2. I 'll make out the truth of the Assertion and give you the Grounds of it Condemnation opened 1. First 't is requisite I should a little open the Condemnation here mentioned The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here in this Verse 't is the Substantive you have the Verb v. 3. and for sin condemned c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Participle v. 34. who is he that condemneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sometimes 't is set forth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Math. 23.14 1 Tim. 3.6 2 Pet. 2.3 Rom. 3.8 sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Joh. 3.19 Joh. 5.24 sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 2 Cor. 3.9 These several words are promiscuously used to signifie one and the same thing That here in the Text commonly carries a very black and dreadful sense with it I do not deny but that sometimes 't is used to set forth temporal evils and punnishments as condemnation to a temporal death so Math. 20.18 Math. 27.3 but usually it as the Verb in this Composition is expressive of spiritual and eternal evils of everlasting death so Rom. 5.16.18 Mark 16.16 1 Cor. 11.32 As to its direct and proper notation it signifies judgment against one that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is a forensick word relating to what is in use amongst men in their Courts of Judicature To condemn Propriè judicis est cùm mulctam reo vel poenam per sententiam erogat 't is the Sentence of a Judge decreeing a mulct or penalty to be inflicted upon the guilty person Amongst men for the parallel will illustrate that which I am upon the Malefactor or guilty person is indicted arraigned before the Judge judicial process is form'd against him his offence is proved upon this the Judge passes sentence upon him that he is guilty of that which is charg'd upon him and then that he must undergo the penalty or penalties which are answerable to the nature and quality of his crime if that be Capital he must dye for it So here the impenitent unbelieving sinner is indicted arraigned at Gods Bar process is made against him he is found guilty of the violation of the holy Law and which is worse of the contempt of the Gospel too whereupon God judges him to be guilty and upon that guilt adjudges him to everlasting death this is Gods condemning or condemnation in allusion to that condemnation which is amongst men Pareus makes it to be the damnatory sentence of the Law that * Gal. 3.10 Curse which it denounceth upon all and against all because of sin Grotius makes it to be that eternal death spoken of Rom. 6 ult several such Glosses there are upon it but all tend to one and the same thing Condemnation refers to Guilt and Punnishment Condemnation is either respectu Culpae Reatus or Poenae in respect of Guilt or Punnishment for both of these are included in it God condemns the sinner how why first he judges him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guilty of that which the Law charges him with O saith the Law Sinner thus and thus thou hast offended such Duties have been omitted such sins have been committed such Sabbaths have been profaned such mercies have been abused such tenders of grace have been slighted here the Gospel Law comes in as an accuser too c. Well now saith God Sinner what dost thou say to this charge is it true or false canst thou deny it what defence or plea canst thou make for thy self Alas he is * Math. 22.12 speechless hath not one word to say for himself he can neither deny nor excuse or extenuate what is charged upon him Why then saith God the righteous Judge I must pronounce and I do here pronounce thee to be guilty And is this all no upon this guilt the Law pleads for a further Sentence for the decreeing and inflicting of the penalty threatned by God himself and incurred by the sinner Ah saith God and I cannot deny it I must be just and righteous and therefore Sinner I here adjudge thee to dye eternally This is Condemnation in the extensive notion of it if you consider it with respect to Guilt so 't is opposed to justification if you consider it with respect to Punishment so 't is opposed to Salvation In the former notion you have it Rom. 5.16 18. And not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences to Justification Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life In the second notion you have it Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be condemned These are the two things which make up the Condemnation in the Text Guilt and Death from both of which such as are in Christ are secured they shall neither be judged Guilty their Guilt being done away by Christ and the Sentence proceeding according to what they are in Christ and not according to what they are in themselves nor shall a Sentence of eternal Death pass upon them for guilt being taken off that would not be righteous there is therefore none of this Condemnation to Believers Of the Sentence and State of Condemnation There is the Sentence of Condemnation and the State of Condemnation the former actively considered refers to God and is his Act the latter refers to the Sinner and is consequential upon the former The Sentence hath been already opened the State of Condemnation is the Sinners undergoing of the utmost of Vindictive Justice in his eternal separation from God and enduring of everlasting torments in Hell of which you will hear more in what follows Neither of these do belong to them who are in Christ Jesus not the former they being now justified not the latter they being sure to be glorified I shall take in both yet mainly freedom from the State of Condemnation the Apostle I conceive had this chiefly in his eye when he here said There is now no Condemnation
was willing to be condemned in you there is very much to deserve condemnation and yet you shall never be condemned here 's the admirable boundless infinite love of Christ VSE 4. Comfort to all in Christ Lastly The main tendency and drift of this Truth is Comfort to Believers and what a full breast of Consolation is here for such as are in Christ No condemnation to them this no condemnation is the ground of all Consolation what a word is here for Faith and Hope O magnae spei verbum as he crys out what a * Ut frustra sibi blanditur homo carnalis si de emendandâ vitâ nihil sollicitus huâ—us gratiae praetextu impunitatem sibi promittat Ita habent trepidae piorum conscientiae invictum propugnaculum quòd dum in Christo manent sciunt se esse extra omne damnationis periculum Calv. in loc mighty support is here for poor doubting and dejected Souls The great thing that such are afraid of is Condemnation but here 's that which secures them from it the assertion is very express and full and 't is grounded too upon a sure foundation there is now no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus O you that are in Christ as your thankfulness should be high so your joy should be high also and what will raise your joy if this will not 'Pray improve it upon all occasions and be chearful Set this against all the present evils you meet with God afflicts you but he will not condemn you why should you be troubled affliction becomes very tolerable upon No-condemnation what though it be sickness pain loss of Relations a low estate so long as the soul is safe and the main state secured there may be * 1 Pet. 4.12 fiery tryals here but there 's no * Mark 9.43 unquenchable fire to burn in hereafter O there 's comfort What are the comforts of this world if we shall be kept out of Heaven and what are the crosses of this world if we shall be kept out of Hell Take the wicked there 's condemnation at the bottom of all their good take the Saints there 's Salvation at the bottom of all their evil Again men condemn you ah but God will not condemn you this is but * 1 Cor. 4.3 mans day where you may have the worst of it but Gods day is coming and then all will go on your side O let it be a very little thing to you to be judged of man so long as God doth and will acquit You have Sin in you too much God knows yet 't is no condemnation and if sin it self it being pardoned and * Rev. 1.5 washed away by the blood of Christ if this I say shall not condemn you what then shall After Pauls sad complaints of sin yet he here says there 's no condemnation Condemn your selves for sin you do and so you should do provided this self-condemnation flow from Repentance not from Vnbelief but the great God by whose judicial Sentence your everlasting state shall be ordered will not condemn you for it 'T will be so far from this that as some * Hinc fidelium peccata non prodibunt in judicium Quum enim in istâc vitâ per sententiam justificationis tecta sunt ablata ultimum illud judicium confirmatio erit manifestatio ejusdem sententiae non esset consentaneum ut in lucem denuo tum temporis proferantur Ames Med. lib. 1. cap. 41. Divines hold the sins of Believers shall not be so much as mentioned at the great day The Law is a condemning thing 't is so indeed in it self but 't is not so to you who are in Christ You must dye and be judged but welcome death welcome judgment so long as there is no condemnation why should you be afraid of these which will only let you see the accomplishment of what is here affirmed This is the happiness of you who are in Christ will you act faith upon it and take the comfort of it I would have you live and dye with this Cordial always by you there is therefore now no condemnation c. And let me add 't is not only your priviledge but your duty to rejoyce because of this 't is not only you may but you ought to be cheerful you cannot be otherwise unless you either distrust or disparage what is here spoken of The Sinner hath no reason to be jocund and merry for he is liable every moment to Condemnation the Saint hath no reason to be dejected and pensive for he is out of all danger of Condemnation The Sinner is secure as though there was no Hell and the Saint is sad and cast down as though there was no Heaven the good Lord convince the one and comfort the other I 'le close all with two words of advice 1. Get assurance in your own Souls that there is to you No Condemnation 'T is a sad thing to live under peradventures about this may be God will save and may be too God will damn to hang in doubtfulness 'twixt Heaven and Hell is a very uncomfortable state Were you but clear in your evidences about this Priviledge you could not but rejoyce Now in order to this do but make sure of your Vnion with Christ and that will assure you of No Condemnation 2. Let this Happiness be a great incentive to Holiness 'T is good to infer Duty from Mercy Are you secured from Condemnation what manner of persons should you be How should you differ from others here who shall so differ from others hereafter Though Sin shall not condemn you yet do you condemn it I 'le end with an allusion to that of our Saviour to the Woman taken in Adultery * Joh. 8.10 11. Woman saith Christ where are those thine accusers hath none condemned thee she said No man Lord. And Jesus said unto her Neither do I condemn thee go and Sin no more ROM 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus c. CHAP. II. Of the Saints Vnion with Christ The Subject of the Proposition next opened What it is to be in Christ Jesus The difference betwixt Christs being in Believers and their being in Christ Vnion with Christ a great Mystery A threefold Vnion The Vnion of Three Persons in one Nature the Vnion of two Natures in one Person the Vnion of Persons where Persons and Natures are distinct This is Mystical Legal or Moral Scripture Resemblances by which the Mystical Union is shadowed out Its Properties 'T is a Sublime Real Spiritual Intimous Total Immediate Indissoluble Vnion Use 1. For Tryal whether we be in Christ A double distinction concerning this Vnion with Christ is either Material and Natural or Spiritual and Supernatural Either External and Visible or Internal and Invisible How it may be known whether we be really and savingly in Christ. Some Scriptures insisted upon for the Evidence of this Use 2.
Vincula Vnionis the Means or Bonds of this Union the Spirit and Faith 5. Here is also the Effect or Consequent upon this Union namely mutual and reciprocal Communion each with the other This will be opened in what will follow Only at present let me open the fourth Head the Means and Bonds of the Mystical Union In all Unions there is something which binds and knits Thing and Thing Person and Person together what is it then which binds knits conjoyns Christ to Believers and Believers to Christ I answer 't is the Spirit and Faith The Spirit unites Christ to us and Faith unites us to Christ First the Spirit is the bond of this Union on Christs part for by this he takes possession of Believers * Christ lives in us not by local presence but by the special supernatural operation of his Spirit Perkins upon Gal. 2.20 p. 216. dwells in them lays hold of them apprehends them as the word is Phil. 3.12 In * De Trinit de Poenit. Tertullians Dialect Spiritus nos Christo confibulat the Spirit doth joyn and button Believers to Christ And then Faith is the bond or ligament on our part Eph. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts how by Faith Christ lays hold on us by the Spirit and we lay hold on him by Faith he comes to us by the Spirit and we go to him by Faith The Spirit of God does not only discover and make out the Union of the Soul with Christ Hereby we know that he abides in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3.24 but he works promotes and brings it about As 't is in that Vnion which is amongst the Saints themselves * 1 Cor. 12.13 by one Spirit they are all baptized into one body So 't is in the Vnion which is betwixt Christ and them by this One Spirit they are all made one with Christ Therefore saith the Apostle * Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his he means he hath neither interest in him nor union with him And then there is Faith which unites on our part for that is the uniting Grace the Sinew or Ligament which knits and binds the Soul to Christ that by which the Soul clasps and clings about Christ By faith we apply our selves to Christ and Christ to our selves and that application is the ground of union So also by Faith we * Joh. 1.12 receive Christ upon which receiving of him we are united to him and made one with him The spiritual ingrafting too is by this as you may see Rom 11.19 20 and this is our eating Christs flesh and drinking-Christs-blood upon which he dwells in us Joh. 6.56 Thus the Union is brought about both on Christs part and on the Believers part and this is the Mystical Vnion Of the Law-Vnion Secondly There is the Legal or Law-Vnion betwixt Christ and Believers The ground of this Union is Christs * Heb. 7.22 Suretyship he as the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surety struck hands with God as the word imports put himself into their stead took their debt upon himself and bound himself upon their account to make satisfaction to God Now from this act of Christ there results that Law-Vnion which I am upon Saints as 't is said by some are united to Christ three ways Spiritu Carne Vadimonio as they are partakers of his Spirit as he hath assumed their Nature and as he hath engaged for them as there Sponsor or Surety You know in Law the Debtor and the Surety are but one Person the Law looks upon them as One and makes no difference betwixt them and therefore both are equally liable to the debt and if the One pay it 't is in the eye of the Law as much as if the Other had paid it So 't is with Christ and us he is our Surety for he took our debt upon himself engaged to pay whatever we owed as * Philem. 18.19 Paul once did to Philemon for his Onesimus entred into bond though not with us yet for us Upon this Christ and we are but One Person before God and accordingly he deals with us For he makes over our Sins to Christ and also Christs righteousness and satisfaction to us he now in a legal notion looking upon both but as One person And this Consideration is of great use and so accordingly 'tis improved by the Orthodox against Socinians to clear up and confirm those great Truths which concern Christs Sufferings and the Believers benefit thereby For if it be ask'd How could Christ he being a Person perfectly innocent suffer in a penal manner as he did he being altogether guiltless in himself how could the Father with justice fall upon him as though he had been guilty Or grant that he did thus suffer yet how can any good by his suffering redound to others I say if any shall raise such Questions the Answer is ready That Christ and Believers in Law are but one Person he having submitted to be their Surety in a voluntary substitution of himself in their stead and susception of their Guilt whereupon it came to pass that their Guilt was imputed to him upon which the Father might without the least impeachment of his justice severely fall upon him and his righteousness merit satisfaction was imputed to them for that being performed by their Surety 't is theirs to all intents and purposes as if they had perform'd it in their own persons Briefly upon this Law-Vnion resulting from Christs Suretiship our Sins were very well imputable to him and his merits to us This doth so exactly fall in with the common notion and case of Suretyship amongst Men that I need not any further insist upon the illustration of it The Adversaries therefore who deny that Christ either did or could suffer in the Sinners stead or that there is any imputation of his Merit to Believers are so pinched with this his being a Surety that they oppose it to their utmost wholly deny that too and are feign to make good one denial with another But here I digress Two things I shall add upon this Head and then dismiss it 1. That the Oneness of Person 'twixt Christ and the Saints which hath been affirmed of them more than once or twice in the opening of the matter in hand is not to be carried further than that particular Sense and respect in which 't is affirmed I mean this They are not one Person in respect of Nature Essence or any personal Vnion onely they are so in respect of that Mystical and Legal Oneness of Person that is betwixt them And this latter Oneness is very well consistent with the different Natures of the Subjects united though the former is not so 2. That this Law-Vnion is only proper to Christ the Second Person The mystical and the moral Union in some sense doth reach to the other Persons
the vine ye are the branches You read of being planted and ingrafted into Christ 't is a Metaphor which the Spirit of God much delights in in the setting forth of that which I am upon See Rom 6.5 and chap. 11.17 c. Also you read of being rooted in Christ Col. 2.7 There is a blessed Analogy or resemblance between Christ and Believers and the Root and the Branches in point of Vnion in point of Influence The root is united to the branches and thâ—y to it so is Christ to Believers and they to him The root conveys life and nourishment and growth to the branches so does Christ to Believers Another Resemblance is the Foundation and the Building Here is Vnion too for in a Building all the Stones and Timber being joined and fastned together upon the Foundation make but one entire Structure So 't is here Believers are Gods building and Christ is the foundation in that building Ye are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 3.11 Therefore they are said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Eph. 2.20 As a man builds upon the foundation and lays the stress of the whole building upon that so take the true Christian he builds upon Christ all his Faith Hope Confidence is built upon this sure foundation as Christ is stiled Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a sure foundation Hence also they are said As lively stones to be built up a spiritual house c. 1 Pet. 2.5 Here 's the Mystical Union under this resemblance also Take but One more that of Meat or Food That which a man feeds upon and digests it is incorporated and united with himself it 's turned into his own substance and made a part of himself The Believing Soul by Faith feeds upon Christ digests him and turns him as it were into his own substance so that Christ becomes one with him and he one with Christ Joh. 6.55 56. My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him All this must be taken not in the literal but in the spiritual notion the eating and drinking is believing so 't is to be understood all along in that Chapter Upon which believing the Vnion follows he dwells in me and I in him Thus I have with great brevity given you those Scripture-Resemblances by which the Mystical Vnion is shadowed out The handling of them in their utmost extent is a Subject that would have admitted of great enlargement but my business was but to speak to that one thing from them which suits with the work in hand In some of the preceding Heads I was in the great deeps but in this I have been in the shallows there the Elephant might swim here the Lamb may wade there things were not so dark but here they are as clear therefore I shall not need to make any further stay upon them Seven Properties of the Mystical Vnion I come to the Third Head the Properties of this Vnion I 'le name these Seven First 'T is a sublime Vnion And that 1. In respect of its Nature as considered in it self Christ and a poor Creature made one and so made One O what an Union is this We have many Vnions in Nature and some very considerable but alas they all come short and are but poor mean low things in comparison of this Next to the Vnion of the Three Persons in the Sacred Trinity and the Hypostatical Vnion of the two Natures in Christ the Mystical Vnion is the highest Except but those which I have named and all other Unions must vail to it 2. 'T is sublime in respect of its rise Original and production The more supernatural a thing is the more sublime it is now this Union is purely supernatural What can Nature be imagin'd to do for the bringing about of such a thing as this O surely 't is all of the meer Grace of God! As 't is not Natural for the Matter of it so neither is it so for the production and application of it 'T is supernatural as to the Thing and also as to the Person to whom it belongs 3. 'T is sublime in respect of the high and glorious Priviledges Effects and Consequents of it 4. In respect of its mysteriousness and difficulty to be known Something I spoke to this at my first entrance upon this Subject The mystical Union is a mysterious Union so mysterious that we had known nothing at all of it if God had not revealed it to us in the Word And even now he hath revealed it yet 't is but very little that we do understand of it That there is this Union that 's as clear as the light of the Sun but what this Union is O that 's a thing hidden and lock'd up from us The Union of the Body and Soul in Man is a great mystery there is even in that Vnion that which puzzles the greatest Philosophers but the Union of Christ and the Believer is a far greater mystery That persons every way so distant so divided should yet be made mystically One here 's a mystery indeed a mystery which no finite Understanding Angelical or Humane can comprehend Secondly 'T is a real Vnion Not a notional phantastick or opinionative thing something that is meerly matter of phancy and imagination or something that dull and melancholly persons please themselves with the thoughts of O 't is not so but 't is a real thing and as great a reality as any whatsoever it be You have very many Scriptures which speak to it under great variety of Expressions all of which with the greatest evidence and clearness do point to it and cannot be otherwise understood and yet will you doubt of it and look upon it as a meer phancy As really as the members â—â—e united to the head and the head to them the Wife to the Husband and the Husband to the Wife the branches to the root and the root to the branches so really are the Saints united to Christ and Christ to them for these several Vnions do confirm as well as represent and open the Mystical Vnion Nothing in Religion is real if this be not take away this Mystical Oneness between Christ and the Soul and take away all Is not the Union 'twixt God the Father and God the Son a real Vnion surely that will not be deny'd if so then this is real also for Joh. 17.22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one Observe it 't is one even as we are one but how not as to any equality but only as to verity not as to the modus or qualitas unionis but only as to the veritas unionis This as is often but a note of likeness
not of sameness so Matth. 5.48 Be ye perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect So 1 Pet. 1.15 16 't is so to be interpreted here Believers are not one with Christ as he is one with the Father in respect of the manner of the Union but as to the truth and reality of it so 't is as verily as truly one with Christ as Christ is one with the Father 'T is an higher Vnion 'twixt the Father and the Son but 't is as real an Vnion 'twixt Christ and Believers Thirdly 'T is a spiritual Vnion Not a gross fleshly corporeal Union you must not so conceive of it but a divine inward spiritual Union 'T is the uniting of hearts and souls together in an imperceptible way and the bonds of this Union are spiritual namely the Spirit in Christ and Faith in us and the Union is to be judged by that which is the bond of it The Husband and the Wife are * Eph. 5.31 one flesh but he that is joyned to the Lord is * 1 Cor. 6.16 17. one Spirit I have set before you several external and material Resemblances of it but the Union it self is internal immaterial and spiritual When Christ had been speaking so much of it under the resemblance of eating and drinking he adds to prevent mistakes * Joh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life q.d. You must take me in a right sense in all that I have said I do not intend any fleshly or corporeal eatiug as some grosly imagine I only mean spiritual eating and drinking by Faith Neither saith he would I be thought to speak of any Union that is carnal and earthly 't is the heavenly and the spiritual Union onely which I design in all that I have spoken Fourthly 'T is a near intimous Vnion The Persons here concern'd are not only truly and really but nearly closely intimately united each to the other The Union betwixt them is so near that there is no Union excepting what hath been excepted to be compared with it so near that we know not how to conceive of it much less how to express it we may borrow some light here and there from the scattered Vnions of Nature but they all in point of nearness are vastly short of it In the * 1 Cor. 6.17 Text cited but now the Apostle tells us He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit where he opposes joyning to Christ to joyning to an Harlot v. 16. Of which he saith He that is joyned to an Harlot is one body and though this be out of the due course yet he carries it up to the Marriage-Vnion for two saith he shall be one flesh But he heightens the Mystical Vnion with Christ he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit This is the highest Scripture which I know for the describing of the intimousness of the spiritual Vnion First the Apostle says he that is joyned to the Lord In the Greek 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that is glewed to the Lord 't is the same word which is used Eph. 5.31 he shall be joyned or glewed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his wife It speaks the Firmness and the Nearness of the Union And then he says he that is thus joyned to the Lord is one Spirit what an Expression is this what could be spoken higher to be one Spirit is much more than to be one Flesh inasmuch as the Union of Spirits is the nearest Vnion that is imaginable The Apostle opposes the spiritual conjunction 'twixt Christ and Believers to that carnal conjunction that is 'twixt person and person he that is joyned to an Harlot is one body and one Flesh but he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Saints are not only Flesh of Christs Flesh and Bone of his Bone by which phrase the heighth of the Conjugal Vnion is set forth and by which the * Quae loquendi Formula ex literis Veteris Testamenti videtur esse desumpta Ita enim Fratres cognati de se mutuò loqui solent Os meum Caro mea Pet. Mart. Jews us'd to express the greatest nearness in consanguinity but which is much higher they are one Spirit with him 'T is not said they have one Spirit or that Believers are * Vide Grâ—â—ium in loc spirited as Christ was or that they are led acted animated by the same Spirit that he was though I conceive that is the very thing intended in the expression but the Apostle says the better to set off the intimousness of the Vnion Christ and they are one Spirit which is as high as any thing that could be spoken Again Believers are so near to Christ that in a sober sense they may be said to be a part of him yea such a part of him that he as Head and Mediator would not be compleat without them for as he is so considered they are his fulness Eph. 1.23 the fulness of him that silleth all in all 't is spoken of the Church the Body of Believers Once more the Union is so near that they both have one and the same Name Christs own Name and Title is given to them 1 Cor. 12.12 So also is Christ the Apostle means Christ Mystical not Christ Personal Compare Jer. 23.6 This is the name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our righteousness with Jer. 33.16 This is the name wherewith she shall be called the Lord our righteousness which is spoken too of the Church The Wife upon the Marriage-Vnion loses her own and is called by her Husbands name and so 't is here He that is Christ shall be called the Lord our righteousness and She that is the Church shall be called too the Lord our righteousness here is communication of names which speaks the nearness of the Vnion Nay Christ and the Believer are but * Ex quo fit ut ipsemet quoque Christus usque adeo arctè noster evadat nos vicissim illius ut apud Patris Tribunal Christus Ecclesia non quidem hypostaticâ substantiarum unitione sed quod ad istam communionem attinet mysticâ velut unum idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unus Christus efficacissunè censeamur Bucan L. Com. 48. p. 821. One mystically though not substantially and this is the highest of all O this is a close and intimate Union indeed Fifthly T is a total Vnion I mean this the whole Person of Christ is united to the whole Person of Believers and the whole Person of Believers is united to the whole Person of Christ Christ is not in this or that single Nature but in both his Natures not in this or that Office but in all his Offices made one with them And they too reciprocally are made one with him as to the whole man not as to the Soul only but
in Christ and how may that be known thus by our being New Creatures The Apostle sets it down indefinitely that he may reach every person if any man be in Christ c. This New Creature is one of the greatest riddles of Christianity to men that have it not 'T is that new creation which the Soul passes under in the work of Conversion or that great and universal change which follows upon Conversion a converted man is a changed man a quite other person than what he was before he may say with Austine I am not I all old things are pass'd away and all things are become new as it follows in the place alledged Upon Conversion understanding judgment thoughts will affections Conscience heart tongue life all is new when the Sinner is turned from Sin to God he hath new Principles from which he acts new Ends for which he acts new Guides and Rules by which he acts is not here a wonderful change Now are you acquainted with this New Creature what do you find of it in your selves it converns you to make sure of it for all is nothing without it * Gal. 6.15 In Christ Jesus and so in reference to the proof of being in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new Creature O this is all in all this must be the sure and infallible witness of your Union with Christ Therefore examine your selves about it I beseech you look back compare your selves with your selves hath any thorough change been wrought in you are you not the same you ever were just such as you came into the world Can any that hears me say O blessed be God! 't is not with me as it hath been Time was when I was blind as ignorant a Creature as any but I hope now in some measure I am enlightened God hath shined into me and set up such a Light in me that I see what I never saw before and I see it in another manner than I did before Time was when I could swear curse be drunk take Gods name in vain profane Sabbaths c. but I dare not now give way to such impieties Time was when Sin and I agreed very well but now my heart rises at it * Psal 119.104 I hate every false way Time was when I had no love for Duty I liv'd in the total omission of it but now I love Prayer I love the Word and all the Ordinances of Christ are precious to me Time was when I was all for the world my whole heart was taken up in it but now * Phil. 3.8 I count all but loss that I may gain Christ now None but Christ none but Christ Can any of you thus speak here 's a change indeed upon that the New Creature indeed and upon that Being in Christ indeed There 's a double change which evermore accompanies the Mystical Vnion 1. The State of the Person is changed He who before he was in Christ was a Child of wrath is now upon his being in Christ an heir of Grace he that before the Union was in a state of Condemnation is now after the Union in a state of Salvation 2. The Nature is changed there 's a new Nature a new Soul not physically yet morally infus'd into the regenerate person the * 2 Pet. 1.4 divine Nature it self is now communicated to him whereupon he doth not think speak or act as he did before he doth not love or live as before he walks in newness of life as 't is Rom. 6.4 This is the change which we are to make sure of for assuredly the Lord Jesus will put none into his bosome or make them a part of himself but first the New Creature shall pass upon them to prepare and make them fit for so near and so close an Union 'T is not consistent with his honour to take a Sinner just as he finds him and without any more adoe to own him as a member of himself There out any more adoe to own him as a member of himself There cannot be a passage-from one Head to another but there must be some not able alteration Christ will not break off a branch from the first root and ingraft it into himself but he will first alter the very nature and property of it 'T is not in the power of Creatures to change those whom they take into Union with them the Husband may take the Wife into his bosome but he cannot change her Nature temper disposition As Bernard saith of Moses Aethiopissam-duxit sed non potuit Aethiopissae mutare colorem he married an Aethiopian but he could not alter her Aethiopian complexion much less could he alter her inward temper But Christ can and doth thus work upon those whom he takes into near Union and relation if he joyns the black swarthy Soul to himself he puts a new complexion upon it he makes it comely with his own comeliness as God promises Ezek. 16.14 So then by this you may know whether you be truly really savingly in Christ viz if you be new Creatures without the new Creation there 's no Mystical Vnion 2. Another trying Scripture is that Gal. 5.24 They that are Christ's who are in him have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts This also is a very close Word and it speaks this No Crucifixion no Vnion The crucified Head will have crucified Members he that is planted in Christs person shall * Rom. 6.4 be planted in the likeness of Christs death O is Sin crucified in you did you ever set that upon the Cross which brought the Son of God to the Cross is there in you that death to sin which carries some analogy to Christs death for sin is the Flesh with all its cursed retinue the affections and lusts thereof mortified in you is the corrupt Nature dead as to its former power and soveraignty in the Soul for that 's the crucifixion here spoken of Assure your Selves Christ will not have a member in him to be under a foreign power the Flesh shall not be the Ruler where He is the Head where he brings about the Vnion he will have the Dominion My Text too speaks of this Flesh and it tells you that they who are in Christ Jesus do not walk after the Flesh but after the Spirit Paul here seems to rise and to go on step by step would you know who are exempted from Condemnation he tells you such who are in Christ would you further know who are in Christ he tells you such who walk not c. Here then is the Characteristical Note of all who are in Christ they live not the fleshly carnal sensual Life but the spiritual heavenly holy Life Sirs what is your walking 't is the Conversation that must discover the Vnion do but reflect upon your course of Life and that will plainly tell you to what Head you belong 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself
needs upon this be excellent and glorious The excellency of persons and things is to be measured by their appropinquation or approximation to that which is most excellent then the Saints are the * Psal 16.3 excellent in the earth because they are so near to Christ the center of all excellencies How was the humane Nature advanc'd and dignifi'd even above the Angelical Nature when it was so nearly united to the Godhead as the woman of mean descent is when she is match'd into some great family And hath not Christ highly advanc'd your persons too by taking them into so close so intimate an union with himself 'T was accounted honour for Esther to be taken into Ahasuerus's Royal Bed 't was a far greater honour to her to become his wife but this is nothing to the honour which Christ hath put upon you in his joyning and marrying of you to himself O let him first be adored who hath thus eâ—aâ—â—â—d poor worms and then you should know how to judge of your selves according to the advancement and dignity conferred upon you by your being in Christ As to your Being and Order the Angels are above you * Psal 8.5 Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels but as Christ hath assumed your Nature and not theirs and hath thus nearly united your Persons to himself so they are a little nay a great deal lower than you Let there be no pride or sinful self-exaltation in you yet know how to put a right estimate upon your selves according to your advancement by Grace The Saint in his rags is greater than the Sinner in his robes for the one is in Christ and the other is not and that puts a superlative glory and excellency upon him Believers being in Christ they are safe 2. Are you in Christ Jesus then as your dignity is great so your safety is great too You need not fear the greatest dangers which threaten you upon your being in Christ even in the * Psal 23.4 valley of the shadow of death you are safe The Evils you dread are either temporal and external or spiritual internal and eternal you are secure against all That special providence which is over you secures against the first and that special Grace which is in you and towards you secures against the last * Isa 4.5 Vpon all the glory shall be a defence You upon your Vnion are a part of this glory for it points to persons as well as things therefore there 's a defence upon you to keep off whatever might hurt you You are not meerly a part of Christ through your conjunction with him but you are in regard of his special and tender affection as * Zech. 2.8 the apple of his cye and will he not guard the apple of his eye He that is in this Ark must needs be safe in the greatest deluge The Evil of Evils is eternal condemnation but what saith the Text There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus How can they perish who are one with Christ will he suffer persons so united to him to be miserable so long as 't is well with the Head shall it not be well with the Members also In the Body Natural the Head may be safe and yet some of the Members may perish but in the Body Mystical 't is otherwise where all the members are safe in the head and as safe as the head it self O Believers you may with courage look the greatest dangers evils in the face as knowing that none of them shall ever reach you much to hurt you because you are so strongly engarrison'd in Christ But more of this in the last branch of Comfort Christ sympathizes with those who are in him 3. Are you in Christ Jesus Here 's Comfort for you Vpon your union with him he sympathizes with you in all your afflictions and looks upon all done to you as done to himself I say Christ sympathizes with you in all your afflictions for he 's a sympathizing compassionate tender-hearted Saviour as you read Heb. 4.15 Heb. 5.2 As there is by virtue of the Vnion a mutual sympathy betwixt the Head and the Members the Husband and the Wife so 't is here 'twixt Christ and you * Isa 63.9 in all your afflictions he is afflicted He that * Isa 53.4 bore your griefs when he was on earth really and properly he bears them still now he is in heaven in a way of sympathy Further I add he hath a tender sense of what is done to you and looks upon it as done to himself and no wonder since he and you are but One. He that touches you touches the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 * Sic vocem pedis suscipit Lingua clamat calcas me in membris Christi Christus est August in Ps 30. Saul Saul why persecutest me Act. 9.4 When the Saint is persecuted Christ himself in him is persecuted As if any kindness or love be shown to Believers Christ looks upon it as done to himself Matth. 25.40 Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it to me So if any unkindness be shown to them Christ looks upon it as done to himself O that Enemies would be quiet and let God's people alone and fear to wrong or injure them for they are so united to Christ so incorporated with him that they who strike at them do through them strike at Christ himself Will certainly supply them in all their wants 4. Are you in Christ He will then most certainly supply you in all your wants In temporal wants fear not Christ will provide will he suffer that body to starve which he hath united to himself You are full of anxious thoughts what ye shall eat and drink what ye shall put on Christ would have you * Matth. 6.26 take no thought about these things your bodies being in union with him he 'le look after them so that they shall not want what is necesiary O Believer hath Christ thus admirably joyn'd thee to himself and will he deny thee a little meat and drink and cloathing And then as to spiritual wants in those Christ will supply too Every member in the body from this head shall receive that grace life strength that is proper for it The root supplies every branch with what it needs Christ will do the same to every believing Soul and this is part of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that supply of the Spirit which you read of Phil. 1.19 This union is operative and communicative if thou beest in Christ thou shalt most surely have from him * Rom. 12.3 that measure of Grace and Comfort which he sees best for thee Every Lamp in the Golden-candlestick was supplied from the two Olives Zec. 4.12 and so every particular member of Christ is and shall as need requires be supplied from him The Apostle tells us 1 Tim.
his Members also this is his great request to his Father Joh. 17.24 Where 't is Vnion it shall be Vision in Christ here and with Christ hereafter are inseparable a Christ in you is a sufficient ground for the hope of glory Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of glory You therefore who are in Christ should highly comfort your selues with these things I would desire such not to put from them these Cordials as if they were not proper for them because of the weakness of their graces the imperfections of their duties the meaness of their persons or upon any other discouragement of this nature Art thou a Believer be thou never so weak yet thou art in Christ thou art low in grace in gifts in thy outward condition yet thou art in Christ The meanest member in the body is united to the head as well as that which is the highest and so 't is here Though the eye was weak which look'd upon the brazen Serpent yet it looking thereupon there was healing for all that The weakest faith is healing faith and 't is so not only because it takes a view of Christ but also because it knits to Christ O Christian Faiths uniting virtue doth not depend upon its strength but upon its sincerity the very minimum quod sic is enough to put thee into Christ therefore be not discouraged because thy faith is so weak and low And for thy outward condition that 's nothing at all to the state or priviledge the poor are in Christ as well as the rich the ignoble as well as the noble He doth not choose his members by any external considerations If Grace be in thy heart though thou art very mean in thy outward state hast scarce bread to put into thy belly or rags upon thy body Christ is not * Heb. 2.11 ashamed to own thee as one of his Members and Brethren Let this suffice for the opening of the Subjects of the Priviledge so far forth as they are described by their Vnion There is no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit CHAP. III. Of the Holy and Spiritual Life in opposition to the Sinful and Carnal Life The Subjects of the Priviledge are further characteriz'd by their Course The words repeated Verse 4. with some little variation They are descriptive both with respest to the Non-condemnation and also to the Being in Christ Jesus Why the Apostle singles out this Character What Walking imports The Observation rais'd Eight things taken notice of from the Words 1. The Apostle doth not say There 's no Condemnation to them in whom there is no Flesh but to them who walk not after the Flesh 2. He doth not lay his Evidence upon particular acts but upon the general Course 3. Here is not redditio Causae but only descriptio Personae 4. The description is not laid down in the Negative only but also in the Affirmative 5. The two Walkings are supposed to be contrary 6. First 't is being in Christ Jesus and then 't is walking not after the Flesh c. 7. There always was and always will be different walkers 8. The Apostle lays it down in the general and the reason givenw by he so doth The Parts of the Description opened What is meant by Flesh and by walking or not walking after the Flesh Flesh considered 1. More Generally what it is to walk after it in that respect why the Corrupt Nature is set forth by Flesh a fivefold account given of that 2. More Particularly what it is to walk after it in that respect Of Lust or Lusting the most natural act of the Flesh What is here meant by the Spirit What it is to walk after the Spirit That opened in Five Particulars The Doctrine confirmed Applied 1. by way of Information in three things 1. That Scripture Marks or Signs grounded upon Sanctification and Holiness are not under the Gospel to be rejected by Believers 2. That the Popish Calumnies against Protestants and the Protestant Doctrine are causeless and groundless 3. That there are but few who are in Christ Jesus Use 2. To examine the walking whether it be after the Flesh or after the Spirit Use 3. 1. To dehort from walking after the Flesh Several Motives to enforce that Dehortation What is to be done for the avoiding of it 2. To exhort to walking after the Spirit Three Motives to that Use 4. Such as do walk after the Spirit are exhorted 1. To be very thankful 2. To walk yet less and less after the Flesh and yet more and more after the Spirit 3. To take the Comfort of this walking The great discouragement of troubled Christians about it removed THere is in the whole Verse as you have heard the Priviledge and the Description of the persons who have a share in that Priviledge They are described 1. By their Vnion with Christ There is no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus this hath been spoken to 2. By their holy course they are such who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit this I proceed now to speak to In the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek the Words run thus There is no condemnation to them in Christ Jesus not walking after the Flesh but after the Spirit Our Translators put in to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after c. And they part the being in Christ and the not walking c. and read them as distinct but Others put them together and make all but one sentence Thus the Syriack Version cited before thus (a) Nulia condemnatio iis qui per Jesum Christum sive per Evangelium eousque perducti sunt ut non eant quo carnis affectus rapiunt sine discrimine sed Spiritum Sanctuâ—â— adepti ejus motibus constanter obsequuntur Grot. Grotius There is saith he no condemnation to them who by Jesus Christ or by the Gospel are brought to this not to go whether carnal affections do carry them but having obtained the Spirit they constantly obey his motions Some difference there is in this double reading but I 'le not enquire whether (b) Unica est in textu Pauli oratio sed Interpres distinxit in duas c. quam vis ad sensum non intersit Cajet material or not The Apostle recites these words v. 4. with a double variation 1. There he brings in the Relative and joyns it with the Participle which here he doth not for there 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas the Relative here is joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Here 't is express'd in the Third person there in the First person that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit The Words are descriptive and characteristical of Persons both
in action that 's the guide Now take Christless men the persons of whom I am speaking Flesh is the spring and Flesh is the guide of their actings if they think 't is from the corrupt Nature if they speak 't is from the corrupt Nature if they love 't is from the corrupt Nature c. and so all along this is that spring in them which makes all the wheels to move And this is that guide too by which they steer order direct their whole course And it being so their conversation must needs be a fleshly conversation or a walking after the Flesh for that is always denominated from and answerable to its principle and guide if it be a fleshly principle and a fleshly guide it must needs be a fleshly walking And thus it is with persons out of Christ they act from the flesh and by the flesh and so they are said to walk after the flesh But such who are in Christ they do not thus walk corrupt Nature is neither their principle nor their guide there is another Nature in them by which they are acted and guided viz. the Spirit as I shall shew you by and by when I come to the Affirmative part Expositors whom to cite would be endless do variously open and illustrate this walking or not walking after the Flesh but the Most do pitch upon that illustration of it which I have given This concerning Flesh in the general consideration of it But then The Flesh more particularly considered Of Lust the most natural and vital act of the Flesh Secondly It may be considered more particularly with respect to its proper radical most natural and vital act and that is Lust or lusting This Lust is the great act the most genuine issue of the Flesh the stream which does most immediately and directly flow from that fountain the most proper notion of the Flesh is to conceive of it as a lusting thing The Apostle therefore when he was speaking of it presently he puts down this as its most proper and essential act * Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof Sin here is the Flesh and you see how it works You read of the Lust of the Flesh Gal. 5.16 and of the Lusts of the Flesh Eph. 2.3 Rom. 13.14 Gal. 5.24 These Lusts I say are the most proper issue and the most genuine effects of the corrupt Nature in man Rom. 7.8 Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of Concupiscence or Lust Eph. 4.22 That ye put off concerning your former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts Observe how the Flesh the old man the corrupt Nature and Lust or Lusts are usually link'd and coupled together To apply this now to the walking which I am upon To walk after the Flesh 't is to live and act as under the full power and strength of unmortified Lust 't is to indulge gratifie obey and comply with the Flesh as a lusting thing or as it puts forth it self in sinful lustings The Apostle 2 Pet. 2.10 having spoken of walking after the Flesh immediately he instances in the gratifying of a particular Lust thereby shewing what that walking after the Flesh is But chiefly them that walk after the Flesh in the Lust of uncleanness c. On the other hand Not to walk after the Flesh 't is to keep Lust under to beat it down to resist it not to give way to it in whatever form or shape it may assault the Soul to live in the daily mortification of it not to suffer such hellish fire to smother and burn in the Soul to let it have no harbour or entertainment in the heart but to thrust it out with abhorrency and detestation c. this is not to walk after the Flesh But this Lust being so near to the Flesh so connatural with it that which issues from it even as heat and burning doth from the fire and the walking or not walking after the Flesh being so much to be measur'd by it I will therefore give you some further explication of it Lust in Scripture as 't is taken in a bad sense for the Spirit hath its lustings as well as the Flesh sometimes notes the habit the root it self viz. the depraved Nature sometimes the Act that cursed fruit which grows upon the forenamed cursed root The Apostle James speaks of it as the Mother sin if I may so express it Jam. 1.4 Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust and enticed then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin c. Paul speaks of it as the Daughter-sin Rom. 7.8 Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence or Lust the One considers it as the fountain the Other as the stream In this latter Notion I am to open it and so 't is the bent and propension the eager sierce vehement desire of the Soul after fleshly Objects or sensual things For Lust in its strict and primary sense mainly lies in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the desiring or concupiscible faculty therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word by which it is set forth The Soul of man is a desiring craving thirsting thing 't is a very mass of desires and there 's no faculty more natural to it or wherein it puts forth it self more vigorously than the desiring faculty Now here 's the principal seat of Lust and that which gives it its very being when the Soul is earnestly vehemently impetuously carried out after some sensual good something that will please the fleshly part if it will but do that let it be what it will this is Lust I say it refers principally to the desires as inordinately set upon and drawn out after fleshly things Therefore the Apostle couples them together the Lusts of the Flesh and the desires of the Flesh Eph. 2.3 And the other Apostle speaking of the inordinate desire of worldly pleasure and profit he expresseth it by the Lust of the flesh and the Lust of the eyes 1 Joh. 2.16 I know if you consider Lust habitually and radically there is more in it than this for so 't is the bent and propension of the Soul to whatever is evil and its aversation from whatever is good But if you consider it actually and particularly so fleshly and sensual desires are the main and most proper acts of it Here further you must distinguish of Lust or Lusts Some are more rank and gross such as lie in the sensitive and fleshly part Others are more resin'd and secret such as lie in the upper part of the Soul the Reason Mind and Will You read 2 Cor. 7.1 of the filthiness of the Flesh and of the Spirit where the Apostle describes the Lusts of the lower faculties under the filthiness of the Flesh and the Lusts of
the higher faculties under the filthiness of the Spirit So Eph â— 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the Lusts of our Flesh how why in fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the * Non Corpoâ—s tantum hâ—e partis ratione carentis sed etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opera esse vult omnes esmedi cupiditates quas ex solâ animae parte quae censetur rationis expers produci Platonici prohibent Salmas in Epictet p. 117. mind So that all Lusts do not he in the desires of the flesh but there are some which lie in the mind and in the highest faculties of the Soul Therefore the Apostle in this Chapter v. 6. speaks of the wisdom of the flesh where God willing we shall shew against the Papists that the Flesh and the Lusts thereof are not to be confined to the lower and sensitive part in man but that they do also extend to the nobler and higher part in him And to instance but in one place more you read Col. 2.18 of a fleshly mind These are the Lusts that are situated in the upper region of the Soul but then there are Others which reside in that region which is lower They are called fleshly Lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly Lusts c. They are also called worldly Lusts Tit. 2.12 The grace of God which hath brought salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts They are stiled fleshly Lusts because they are altogether for the satisfaction of the fleshly and sensual part or because they reach no further than the fleshly part and they are stiled wordly Lusts because they are drawn forth by wordly Objects or because they draw out a man in eager propensions after worldly things What it is to walk after the Flesh in this particular consideration of it Now to bring this down to the business in hand The Flesh being thus particularly considered so to walk after it it 's this For a person to be under the regency and dominion of Lust in whatever part or faculty it may reside or exert it self so that he acts in a ready willing full subjection to it and compliance with it 'T is to be under the unbroken strength of sensual propensions and to follow them in the course of life More closely 't is to be carried out with vehemency of desire after some fleshly good so as wholly to be swallowed up in pursuits after it and delights in it even to the slighting undervaluing total neglect of what is truly and spiritually good this is Lust by which whoever is thus acted he is a walker after the Flesh For wherever Lust commands and is obeyed in one respect or another there 't is walking after the Flesh Oh doth it bear sway in any of you that you obey and act by it in heart and life the dark side of the Character is towards you you walk after the Flesh and not after the Spirit Saints in Christ Jesus do not thus walk the Flesh may sometimes be stirring and lusting in them but they dare not hearken or give way to it they repel its evil motions and propensions do not follow or steer their course by the commands and counsels thereof and they are not inordinately desirous of sensual things In general they do not they dare not * Rom. 6.12 obey sin in the lusts thereof or fall in with the cursed suggestions and follicitations of the Flesh to that which is evil They that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5.24 But let this suffice for the opening of the Negative who walk not after the Flesh much more might be added but that which follows will give more light about it Before I enter upon the applying of this let me proceed to the opening of the positive or affirmative part Such as are in Christ Jesus do not walk after the Flesh what then do they walk after why after the Spirit The Question here to be answered is Quest what is it to walk after the Spirit or when and how may persons be said to walk after the Spirit Ans What is meant by Spirit For the better answering of which Question we must first enquire what we are to understand by the Spirit for that being cleared the walking after it will be the more evident Here also not to insist upon the several significations and senses of the word Spirit in this place it must be taken either Personally for the Spirit of God the third Person in the Sacred Trinity or Habitually for Grace in us the Divine Nature implanted in the Soul in the work of regeneration or it must be understood of both You find Grace in Scripture set forth by Spirit Joh. 3.6 What is born of the Flesh is Flesh and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit where the latter Spirit must be understood of the heavenly and renewed Nature Jude 19. the Apostle speaks of some who were sensual having not the Spirit which though it be chiefly to be understood of the Spirit of Grace of which these persons were destitute yet it takes in the Grace of the Spirit too So Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh i. e. the corrupt Nature and the renewed and sanctified Nature do reciprocally oppose and contend each against the other So some interpret that of our Saviour Mat. 26.41 The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak but I cannot lay so great a stress upon this place for this import of the word And as the sinful Nature may very well be set forth by Flesh so Grace or the sanctified Nature may as well be set forth by this appellation of Spirit Why Grace is set forth by the Spirit And that for these reasons 1. because 't is of the Spirit of God it being immediately infused and created by him 2. Because 't is principally seated in the Spirit the Soul of man 3. Because 't is a spiritual thing and vents it self most in spiritual acts 4. Because of the nobleness and excellency of it Now you 'l ask in which of these senses is Spirit here to be taken I answer 't is best to take in both namely both the Spirit of Grace and also the Grace of the Spirit or the renewed Spirit in the Creature the thing here spoken of is applicable to both and therefore why should we limit it to one The word Spirit throughout in this Chapter is generally taken in the personal notion for the Holy Ghost himself and no sooner had the Apostle mentioned Spirit in this verse but presently in the second verse he speaks of the Spirit as consider'd personally the Law of the Spirit of Life c. he means the living and quickening Spirit of God therefore to be sure this sense must be taken in And Grace habitually considered or the renewed
as a pattern And indeed God all along dealt with him as so in reference to pardoning grace he was a pattern 1 Tim. 1.16 that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern c. So in reference to renewing grace he shall be a pattern too God would and did so effectually work upon him in the miraculous changing of him in the mighty rescuing of him from the power of ignorance carnal confidence prejudices against Christ enmity to the Gospel and the Professors thereof that he should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a pattern to all that should be converted of the freeness and efficacy of converting Grace And therefore if He was thus freed from the Law of sin it should then be so with Others also for what was done to him was not done to him as a meer single or private person but as to One that was to be an instance or pattern of the Grace of God towards many 2. Because he was the Complainer therefore he shall be the Triumpher because he was the Combater therefore he shall be the Conqueror And as you have him in the * Ponit se pro Exemplo ut prius infirmitatum Luctae ita nunc fiduciae Imo verbis quasi praeit quibus singuli hanc consolationem nobis applicemus Pareus foregoing Chapter in the person of Believers complaining of the Law of sin so here you shall have him in the person of Believers too triumphing over the Law of sin he being made free from it by another and an higher Law But to close this Head be thou who thou wilt if thou beest a gracious person and one upon whom the Spirit hath put forth his efficacious power thou as well as Paul art made free from the Law of sin Therefore to make this the more indefinite and universal the Syriac not without an Emphasis saith * Et quidem non sine Emphasi quasi admonente Paulo ut singuli credentes hoc sibi beneficium applicent Beza Beza reads it not me but thee the Law of the Spirit of Life hath made thee free from the Law c. The Third General in the Words is the Author or Efficient of this freedome from the Law of Sin and Death and the way or manner how 't is effected 't is by the Spirit of Life and 't is by the Law of the Spirit c. Now here lies the greatest difficulty and that wherein Expositors do most differ I find no less than Four several Interpretations put upon these Words 1. First Some would have them to refer to the sanctity and perfect holiness of Christ's Humane Nature This say they is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and the Law of the Spirit of Life is the power and virtue of Christ's unspotted holiness and purity to acquit and make free the Believer from the Law of Sin and Death h. e. from the guilt of sin and Condemnation So that they bring the matter to this the Habitual righteousness of Christ as Man being imputed and made over to the Believer upon this he is discharged from all guilt and look'd upon by God in Christ as perfectly righteous This Interpretation is that which * Cùm adeò imbecilla sit vis Spiritus in nobis quomodo inde possumus colligere nullam esse condemnationem c. quoniam inquit vis ista Spiritus vivificantis quae tà m imbecilla est in nobis perfectissima potentissima est in Christo nobis credentibus imputata facit ut perinde censeamur ac si nullae prorsus reliquiae corruptionis mortis in nobis inhaererent Nunc autem de perfectâ sanctitatis humanae naturae Christi imputatione disterit c. Beza in Paraphr Distinguit Legem Spiritus vitae quae est in ipso Christo Jesu ab eâ quae in nobis est ab co effecta i e. perfectam naturae nostrae in Christo sanctificationem ab eâ quae in nobis est duntaxat inchoata Nam illa quidem nobis imputata cum perfecta sit nos liberavit c. Explicandum est igitur istud de tertiâ Justificationis nostrae gratuitae parte quae consistit in Sanctificatione ipsâ Jesu Christi nobis communicata Idem in Notis Et porro Vis illa Spiritus vivifici cujus fons est in Christi carne facit ut peccatum seu vitiositas illa cu us reliquiae adhuc in me supersunt quae me alioqui condemnationi adjudicarent efficere nequeat ut conde â—ner quoniaru quod est in me duntaxat inchoatum in Christo perfectissimum est cui sum insitus This way goes Hemingius Elton Parr Streso c. Thâ—s Downham interprets it Of Justific Book 1. Chap. 3. Several Expositors some of Whom are of great Eminency do pitch upon Yet with submission I shall crave leave to prefer another before it For 't is very well known though I shall not in the least concern my self therein that some very worthy Persons do question the truth of the Thing viz. the formal imputation of Christ's Habitual and Original righteousness they making the sanctity of his Humane Nature to belong to his Justitia Personae rather than to his Justitia Meriti or Justitia Fidejussoria and they looking upon it onely as the necessary qualification of his Person to fit him to be a Mediator and also as that which was necessary in order to the meritoriousness of his Obedience but denying that it is directly and formally made over by imputation to the Believer But as to this which is the Veritas Rei as I said before I will not at all concern my self about that I am onely to enquire whether this Interpretation be proper to the Text and rightly grounded upon it which is the Veritas Loci And truly that I question very much and must say with the learned De Dicu Nescio an id spectaverit Apostolus c. I know not whether that was the thing which the Apostle here had in his eye I humbly conceive the Words without great straining cannot be brought to this Sense their main scope and intendment looking to a quite Other thing And that branch of them in Christ Jesus upon which they who close with the Exposition before us lay so great a stress will bear another explication much more easie and genuine as you will hear by and by 2. Secondly Others understand by the Law of the Spirit of Life and the Law of Sin and Death the Law of Faith and the Law of Works or the Evangelical and the Masaical Law You read Rom. 3.27 of the Law of Faith and of Works two very opposite and contrary Laws now by that twofold Law Some open the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Sin and Death Thus * I ex ergo Spiritur vitae est Lex Fidei Nam Moysi Lex est Spiritualis quia prohibet peccare non tamen viâ—ae c. 'T is too
this Law of the Spirit had taken hold of him he was under the Law of Sin before the mighty power of the regenerating Spirit did effectually work in him to convert and sanctifie him Sin had its full power and dominion over him He gives a sad account of this Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh c. And Tit. 3.3 For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient c. 'T is true even after Conversion you have him complaining of the Law of Sin Rom. 7.21 I find a law that when I would do good evil is present with me c. but there was a great difference between that Law of Sin which he was under before conversion and that which he was under after conversion as you shall hereafter understand And thus it is with all men in the world before regenerating Grace in the natural and unconverted state all are under the Law of Sin Every man is born a subject and vassal to Sin and is as he comes into the world under the power tyranny and domination of a cursed Nature Sin is that truly Vniversal Monarch which hath all men before they be converted under its Empire and Soveraignty let them be High or Low Bond or Free in other respects till they be renewed and rescued by the Law of the Spirit of Life they are all under Sin 's command and regency For the proof of this in the General I shall onely refer you to Rom. 6. from the 12. to the end where you have the Law of Sin and the Sinners bondage under its dominion set forth in great variety of Expressions I will not recite any of them 't is best to take them together as they lie in the whole discourse of the Apostle For the better handling of the Truth before us I will 1. Open this Law of Sin and show what is included in it and why that is set forth by this Metaphor Then 2. prove that Men whilst unregenerate are under this Law of Sin How Sin is a Law what this imports Yet since without any prejudice or disadvantage to the Matter contained in each of these Heads they may be spoken to conjunctly as well as apart and because too the putting of them together will somewhat shorten the work therefore that shall be my Method The word Law as a * Dr. O of the Power c. of Indwelling Sin ch 1. 2. Worthy Person hath observed to my hand is taken either properly or improperly Properly so it is the Edict or Sanction of a person or persons in Authority wherein he or they do order and enjoyn something to be done backing his or their Commands with promises of rewards as also their Prohibitions with threatnings of punnishment this is the nature of a Law in the strict and proper notion of it Now if you insist upon this its exact consideration and take in all in this Description so Sin cannot be said to be a Law or to impose a Law upon the Creature the reason is obvious because it hath no Right of Dominion or rightful Authority which is essentially requisite to the Law-maker and to the validity and obligation of the Law The power of Sin is but usurp'd it hath dominion de facto but not de jure God never gave the corrupt Nature in Man any Authority to be or to make a Law which should bind his Creatures He himself hath made excellent Laws which are unquestionably and universally obligatory and he hath set up Magistrates his Vicegerents to whom he hath delegated a power of making Laws which shall in a lower degree be obligatory also but now for Sin what hath that to do with this Law-making or Law-obliging Authority So that this Consideration of a Law doth not at all suit with it yet there is something in the Description that will suit with it well enough insomuch that it may be truly called the Law of Sin Sin is a Law as it commands the Sinner For 1. A Law is a commanding thing It lays its imperative injunctions upon men and expects their Obedience it doth not barely notifie or represent to Men what they are to do or not to do nor only advise and persuade them to do so and so but it commands Authoritatively It carries dominion in it Rom. 7.1 Know ye not the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth this is wrap'd up in the very nature of it and is inseparable from it Now in this respect Sin is a Law it commands the Sinner to act so and so lays its precepts upon him in a very imperious manner assumes a strange kind of Authority over him though justly it hath none therefore you read of the reigning of Sin of obeying Sin of the dominion of Sin Rom. 6.12 14. this is the nature of a Law in general in reference to which Sin hath this appellation of a Law In this respect such as are in the Natural State may too justly be said to be under the Law of Sin for it hath the Command over them and doth from time to time lay its Commands upon them the Subject is not more under the Law of his Soveraign nor the Servant of his Master than the Sinner is under the Laws of Sin it commands very proudly and he as tamely obeys O there 's the Law of Sin There are indeed two things in a Law 't is a commanding and 't is a condemning thing it first commands men to order their actings according to what it prescribes and if they do not so do in case of disobedience then they are by it try'd and condemn'd Unregenerate persons are in both of these respects under the Law of Sin 1. Sin hath a commanding power in them O that is upon the throne in their Hearts it rules them and with a strange kind of Soveraignty orders them to do what it pleases it * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lords it over them as the words are Rom. 6.12 14 And as there is this domination on Sins part so there is subjection on the Sinners part no sooner doth it command but 't is presently obey'd it doth but speak the word and 't is done if it will have such a Lust gratified the Sinner readily yields to it As the Centurion speaks of his Soldiers Matth. 8.9 I am a man under authority having Soldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth come and he cometh do this and he doth it just such a power or soveraignty hath Sin in and over graceless persons they are at its beck according to its commanding propensions they order and steer their Course may they not therefore be said to be under the Law of Sin Then 2. for the Other property of a Law as 't is a condemning thing that belongs to Sin too ô 't is not
can challenge no such thing This for a Law in its proper sense Sin is a Law according to the improper acceptation of a Law 2. Secondly the word Law is taken improperly for any thing that hath an impelling or impulsive virtue in it which though it be not strictly and properly a Law yet it may pass under that appellation because it hath the virtue and force of a Law and doth that which a true and proper Law uses to do And so an inward operative lively Principle that which efficaciously moves and acts a man or impells and urges him so and so to act may be stil'd a Law because of its powerful and authoritative influence in and upon the man in his acting a Principle is a Virtual Law or that which is equivalent to a Law inasmuch as it inclines urges impells with power and efficacy to such and such operations which are suitable to it And therefore when Sin is the Principle which acts a person in his general course and which doth efficaciously excite and impell him to those things which are suitable to its own nature I say when 't is thus there Sin may be called a Law and there 't is the Law of Sin So that when Paul here supposes himself before his Conversion to be under the Law of Sin he means that then Sin was his principle the sole and active principle in him that which with a strange kind of power and efficacy did urge excite impell him to wicked and sinful acts all along in that state The Law of Sin notes the power of Sin as hath been shown now that is twofold Moral or Physical I will not upon several accounts undertake to justifie this distinction in the rigid acceptation of things I onely make use of it to help your conceptions in that which I am upon Sins moral power lies in its being a Law for that 's the power of a Law its physical power lies in its being a Principle for that 's the power of a principle As to its Moral power it directs and regulates prescribing to the Sinner what it would have him to do and in a sense commanding him to do accordingly as to its Physical power it doth so and so excite and act by its inward effectual powerful inclinations and impulsions I distinguish here between a Law and a Principle because I now consider the Latter strictly in it self and not according to the improper application of the word Law to it And I make use of this distinction of Sins twofold power not as designing to assert any specifical difference betwixt them possibly something might be objected against that I onely design thereby to set forth the several ways and modes wherein Sin doth exert its power for though 't is very true that Moral and Physical power as considered in themselves and when applied to such and such things are distinct kinds of power yet when they are applied to sin they are but different modes the Nature of the thing admitting nothing more Now to bring this to the Point in hand Unregenerate persons are under the Law of Sin inasmuch as in that state Sin the depraved Nature is the principle which acts them and which strongly effectually nay impetuously inclines and excites them to what is sinful Every Agent hath its principle which acts it strongly and irresistibly as Natural Agents in natural acts have their principle working with great efficacy in them the Fire burns and cannot do otherwise because 't is determin'd and influenc'd by that natural principle which is in it so Moral Agents in Moral acts have their efficacious principles too which work as strongly and powerfully in them the difference being always preserv'd 'twixt Natural and Free Agents But now these principles are very different according to mens different state where 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus there the Spirit is the principle and the New Nature too in the Soul as the principle doth with a great deal of power and efficacy excite and quicken to what is good 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constraineth us But where it is the Law of Sin there Sin is the principle which doth also strongly excite to what is evil The Natural man hath no other principle than this and 't is very active in him it ever workng with great power and strength to draw out his corruption and so he is under the Law of sin I conceive this Law of Sin as to its most proper import notes the activeness and efficacy of a principle rather than the authority or Soveraignty of a Law though that be the word here used But however 't is best to take in both notions and in both the Doctrine holds true so long as any man is unrenewed Sin is both a Law to him to command rule and govern him and also a principle powerfully and efficaciously to act him in his whole course in both respects before regeneration 't is nothing but the Law of Sin By which expression the Apostle seems to superadd something to what he had said Ver. 1. he had there spoke of walking after the Flesh thereby intimating the Flesh to be the principle by which men out of Christ do act but now here in calling it the Law of Sin or of the Flesh he intimates the power and strength of that principle in those persons 't is a commanding principle in them which takes in the sum of both the significations which I have been enlarging upon it rules and acts them as it pleases it hath over them the authority of a Law and in them the energy or efficacy of a principle both of which do center and are comprehended in one word the power of Sin So much for the First Thing to show what the Apostle means by the Law of Sin and in what respects 't is so stiled 1 Quest Wherein doth Sin act as a Law in the Vnregenerate Two Questions here arise the answering of which will give further light into the Doctrine the First is this How or wherein doth Sin as a Law exert and put forth its power and dominion in and over unregenerate persons In the answering of this should I fall upon particulars Answ to set forth the various workings of Sin in the matter or kind of them or the various arts and methods of Sin in the manner of its working it would occasion a discourse too large for my present design I will therefore limit my self to two General Heads under which the several particulars will fall The Law of Sin shews it self partly with respect to what is Evil and partly with respect to what is Good You may understand its workings in the Vnregenerate by its workings in the Regenerate for 't is the same in both onely in different degrees Now how doth it work in these that you shall see in our great instance in the Text Paul complaining of this Law as in himself shews how it did
as a free Denizon of it who doth so little know how to value such a priviledge Go thy way therefore and be a slave again since thou knowest not how to carry it as becomes one that is free Now I say if God should deal thus with any of you would it not be sad true he will never wholly reverse what he hath done in you and for you but thus far he may go he may let corruption at some times and in some acts prevail over you and he may wholly deprive you of the sense and comfort of your spiritual liberty and would not these be bad enough To walk suitably to it Let me under this Head press another thing upon you viz. to walk suitably to this your freedom wherein doth that consist why in this in being holy and very holy If you so be this will suit with the deliverance from the Law of Sin which you have upon regeneration and which you must therefore be because 't is one great end of God in doing that for you Luk. 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life 'T is observable how God ushers in the Ten Commandements with his delivering the people of Israel out of the Egyptian bondage thereby to lay the greater obligation upon them to obey and keep those Commandements Exod. 20.2 I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage then the several Commandements follow And as to that particular Command of keeping the Sabbath you find God enforcing of it with this Argument only Deut. 5.15 Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt c. O how holy how obedient should they be whom God hath brought out of the state of spiritual bondage the obligation rising higher from this deliverance than from the former Christians you should be very holy partly from a principle of gratitude partly because now the life of holiness is made more easie and facil if you be not so now the power of Sin is broken in you it must be from your sloth or something worse * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oec Some observe upon the latter-Clause of the preceding Verse who walk not after the flesh c. that now under the Gospel 't is much more easie to live the heavenly life than it was formerly under the Law so that say they if men do not live that Life it must be charg'd meerly upon their own negligence so here I say persons being delivered from the Reign of Sin to them now 't is much more possible nay easie to be holy in their walkings than sometimes it was and therefore if they do not so walk 't is meerly from their idleness and sinful neglects Sirs now the holy Life is made practicable to you what an engagement doth this lay upon you to live it The Apostle here according to that Connexion of the Words which some pitch upon brings in freedom from the Law of Sin as the ground of not walking c. therefore they who are in Christ do not follow the sinful and carnal but the holy and spiritual course because they are freed from Sins power I 'm sure as to the thing 't is the duty of such so to walk upon this account Let me add a third Consideration regenerate persons upon this must be very holy that there may be some proportion 'twixt Nature as renewed in the way of Holiness and Nature as depraved in the way of Sin 'pray observe it so long as depraved Nature was upon the throne you were very sinful therefore now when renewed Nature is upon the throne you should be very holy I do not from hence plead for an equality that I very well know is not possible and the reason is because corrupt nature before Conversion was entire not broken or weakened by any contrary habit or principle but 't is not so with the renewed Nature after Conversion for that hath Sin mingled with it striving against it making opposition to it therefore men cannot be so entirely good after grace as they were entirely evil before grace yet I may and I do plead from hence for some proportion whilst Sin ruled you you were very sinful therefore now Christ and Grace rule you you should be very holy So the Apostle argues Rom. 6.19 20. As you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness For when ye were servants to sin ye were free from righteousness therefore which though it be not express'd yet 't is imply'd proportionably now when you are the servants of righteousness you should be free from sin Upon this threefold Consideration such as are made free from the Law of Sin should be holy Against Sins actual and partial dominion Now that I may be somewhat more particular about this Sin being that which is opposite to Holiness and much of the nature of holiness lying in refraining from sin and also the dominion of any particular sin very ill agreeing with deliverance from the Law thereof therefore in both of these respects I would caution all regenerate persons against it but 't is the latter only that I shall speak a few words unto Where I would be very earnest with you who have passed under the regenerating work of the Spirit to take heed even of the actual and partial dominion of Sin and there is great need of this admonition for though upon regeneration you are secur'd from its Habitual and Vniversal dominion yet as to some particular Sin and some particular evil acts it may have that which looks too much like dominion though strictly and properly it be not so Here therefore I desire you to be very careful that you do not suffer any one sin to reign in you for how would this consist with your being made free from the Law of Sin since as hath been said the power of any one sin and subjection thereunto if it be full and free plenary and voluntary doth as certainly prove its dominion as the power of many nay of all ô take heed that this and that sin do not rule or be too high in you 'T was Davids prayer Psal 19.13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression he goes further and takes in all Psal 119.133 Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Saints are not so freed from the Law of Sin by the Spirit but that there is need of daily prayer and that there be all endeavours and care on their part against it and their care must reach even to this that not any single iniquity may have dominion over them
of Sin for though that puts forth a great efficacy in the manner of its working yet it doth not rise to such a pitch or degree of efficacy in what is evil as the Spirit of God doth in what is good Set corrupt Nature never so high yet 't is but a finite thing and so hath but a finite power but the Spirit is an infinite being and in his saving and special workings he puts forth an infinite power and therefore He must work more efficaciously than Sin can do the Law of the Spirit must carry it against and notwithstanding the Law of Sin for though both pass under the same appellation of Laws yet they are Laws of a different kind and nature with respect to their power and efficacy This Law or power of the Spirit is that which I will speak to and for the better opening of the Truth in hand which mainly points thereunto I 'le do two things Two things propounded for the opening of the Observation 1. I 'le speak to the necessity sufficiency efficacy of the power of the Spirit in order to the freeing of men from the power of Sin 2. I 'le shew in what Way or Method the Spirit doth work and exert his power in his rescuing of Souls from Sins power In the First of these Heads three things are put together which must be spoken unto apart The Necessity of the Spirits power to free from Sins power 1. First of the necessity of the power of the Spirit Concerning which I may confidently affirm that 't is indispensably absolutely necessary for the divesting Sin of its long possessed soveraignty no less a power than the mighty power of this Spirit can bring down Sins power ô it s no easie thing to rescue the poor enslaved captive-soul out of its bonds Omnipotency it self is requisite thereunto that 's the * Luk. 11.21 22. strong man which keeps the palace till Christ through the Spirit which is stronger than it comes upon it and overcomes it Israel had never got out of their bondage under Pharaoh if God himself had not brought them out of it through a mighty hand and by an out-stretched arm as you read Deut. 5.15 and so 't is here Let 's bring it to a particular case take a Sinner who is under the Law of Vnbelief as there are too many such God knows nothing shall ever free this Sinner from the power of his unbelief unless a divine and an almighty power from above be put forth upon him 'till this be done all the Calls Commands Invitations Promises of the Gospel are all weak and ineffectual therefore 't is said to be the faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 and the Apostle pray'd that God would fulfil the work of faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 and says the Prophet who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Isa 53.1 without the revealing of Gods mighty arm there 's no believing and you read that God in sanctification and the working of Faith doth put forth the exceeding greatness of his power according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Eph. 1.19 20. what can be spoken higher than this You see the Law of the Spirit is necessary to the freeing of a person from the Law of Vnbelief and is it not so in all other things wherein Sins power shows it self The power of Nature which some do so much magnifie can never conquer the power of Sin alas 't is impar congressus there 's no eaven match betwixt them and besides Natures greatest strength is on Sins side its relicks onely where 't is good are for God against Sin but its full and entire strength as 't is bad are for Sin against God God hath but its shattered sorces as it were but Sin hath its full Body what can enfeebled Nature what will depraved Nature do against Sin Let it be considered if the power of Grace in the Regenerate be so small that by that alone without the concurrence of divine and special assistance from above they can do nothing which Christ affirms Joh. 15.5 no not so much as think a good thought as the Apostle affirms 2 Cor. 3.5 what then can be expected from meer Nature in the Vnregenerate in whom Sin is in its full strength as to the weakning or subduing of it In things of a spiritual nature the Scripture doth not onely deny the act but the power too Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God c. neither can the know them because they are spiritually discerned Jer. 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil So in that which I am upon 't is not onely the Sinner doth not free himself from the Law of Sin but of himself without the mighty power of the divine Spirit he cannot so do he that is not strong enough to subdue some one particular Lust how shall he be able to subdue the whole body of Sin in all its united and combined force as he that cannot conquer one single Souldier can much less conquer the whole Army If God leave a man to grapple with Sin meerly by his own strength woe be to him The necessity of the Spirits power to free from Sins power made out in some Particulars That the power of the Spirit is absolutely necessary to free from the power of Sin will be very evident if you consider those several advantages which it hath for the securing and holding up of its power in the Sinner As 1. 't is in possession 2. It hath been so a long time may be twenty forty theescore years to be sure from the time of the Sinners coming into the world for its power and his birth are of the same date now Vsurpers in possession and who have long been so are not so easily conquer'd 3. It s dominion is entire it hath all on its side the whole Soul is for Sin insomuch that when the Spirit of God comes to grapple with it he finds nothing there to side with him or to take his part which argues the necessity of his infinite power When there is a party within a Kingdom ready to fall in with the foreign force that comes to depose the Tyrant he may with more facility be vanquished but if all the people unanimously stick to him then the conquest is the more difficult As Christ once said * Joh. 14.30 the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me so the poor Sinner may say the Sin-subduing Spirit comes but he finds nothing in me to close with him 4. The natural man likes the power of Sin it hath his heart which is worst of all for the securing of its empire he
it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. bridle and command the affections and put forth its power over sensual pleasures This is certain the Spirit of God doth authoritatively lead and govern the Children of God in their course and by virtue of that constant regency which it keeps up in and over them Sins power is kept down here also is the Law of the Spirit freeing from the Law of Sin VSE 1. It informs as of the greatness and glory of the Spirit I have done with the Doctrinal part let me make some short Application Where first we see what a great and glorious person the Spirit of God is he 's the Spirit of Life by a mighty power he delivers from the Law of Sin the corrupt nature with all its strength and advantages cannot stand before him that which to the Creature is invincible he overcomes with ease ô he that doth such great things must needs be a great Spirit the excellency of the effect proves the excellency of the agent Some from this very passage fetch an Argument to prove the Godhead of the Holy Ghost (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril Alexandr in Thesaur Assert 34. p. 235. t. 5. Cyril from his being the Spirit of Life (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys de Spir. Sanct. p. 206. Chrysostome from his making free from the Law of Sin Hast thou not saith he heard Paul saying the Law of the Spirit c. doth the Spirit make slaves free it not having liberty in its own nature if it be created and in subjection it self it cannot make others free The Argument may be thus drawn up He that in the way of primary efficiency is the Spirit of Life to quicken the dead Soul and the Spirit of Liberty to free the enslaved Soul he is God but the Holy Spirit of God in this way is and doth all this ergo I put in these words in the way of primary efficiency because other things as means or instruments by a derived and subordinate power may have some influence upon these things and yet not be God but whoever doth produce them by an immediate primary underived power as the Spirit doth certainly he is more than a bare Creature he is truly God To make free from the Law of Sin is work for a God and for a God only for to this infinite knowledge is requisite in order to the finding out of all the secret recesses and close workings of Sin and also infinite power for none below that is fit to grapple with so great a power as that of Sin so long as 't is finite against finite the match is but equal and so there would be no victory if therefore the Spirit carries through such a work as this it speaks him to be infinite in his knowledge and in his power and consequently to be God But this I do but touch upon here hereafter if the Lord give leave I shall have occasion to speak more fully to it VSE 2. The true Cause of the Sinners being made free from the Law of Sin 2. Secondly we have here the assignation of the true and only Cause of freedome from Sins bondage Mistakes about this are very dangerous and yet nothing more common than for men to run themselves upon such mistakes The Apostle here speaking of his being made free from the Law of Sin what doth he fix upon as the proper Cause thereof doth he resolve it into the power of Nature alas that 's a thing so feeble and weak that corrupt Nature despises it not fearing that that will ever do any great thing against it Doth he resolve it into his own * Neque liberum arbitrium quicquam nisi ad peccandum valet si careat veritatis viâ August de Sp. Lit. c. 3. liberum arbitrium captivatum non nisi ad peccatum valet Aug. adversus duâ—s Pelag Ep. l. 3. c. 3. Free-will no that he understood little of I challenge the whole world to give me one instance of a Sinner that was ever by the power election and determination of his own Will made free from the reign of Sin The Will as now constituted is so corrupted that 't is rather for the continuance than for the shaking off of Sins dominion ô 't is loath to be delivered even by a foreign power it likes its bondage so well One of the greatest things that the converting Spirit when it so works hath to do is to bow and incline the Sinners Will so as to make it willing to accept of deliverance from Sins yoke and he 's never brought to this till the day of Gods power dawn upon him Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power The Evangelist setting down the proper Causes of Regeneration first removes the false ones among which mans Will is one and then assigns the true one Joh. 1.13 Which we born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God the same holds true of that which is a Consequent upon regeneration viz. being made free from the Law of Sin How can he that is a captive himself deliver others out of their captivity how can that bring down Sins power which is it self most under that power This was not the thing in Pauls eye when he was giving an account of his happy state 't was * De corpore mortis hujus non liberum hominis arbitrium neque Legis Sanctum jusiumque mandatum sed sola nos liberat gratia Dei per Jesum Christum Lex euim Spiritus vitae c. Fulg. de Incarn Grat. c. 16. Free-grace and not Free-will that he magnified Again doth he resolve it into any thing out of himself as the Word Ordinances the means of Grace c. no! 't is very true that these God having set his divine stamp upon them he also being pleas'd to accompany them with his own presence and blessing may be productive of high and great things yet as consider'd in themselves they are but means or instruments and therefore do not operate from any natural or instruments and therefore do not operate from any natural or inherent virtue but onely as they are us'd by the first Cause and as the Spirit of Life puts energy and power into them * 2 Cor. 10.4 Our weapons saith the Apostle are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds c. the same may be said of all Gospel-institutions O how many live under the most effectual means the Ordinances of God in the most lively and powerful administration thereof and yet Sin stands its ground and keeps up its full power in and over them 'T is not Goliah's Sword that makes execution upon the Enemy unless it be wielded with Goliah's arm the Word is the * Eph. 6.17 sword of the Spirit which
the death of this Death or that wherein it mainly consists hence though it doth not carry in it any annihilation yea though it be attended with a kind of Life both Soul and Body retaining their physical being existence and union yet 't is called Death because there is in it a separation from the fountain of true Life and of all blessedness upon which account 't is not only Death but the worst Death and this too is the worst part of this worst Death for though there be more included in it than the loss of Gods presence viz. the punnishment of sense eternal torment in Hell-fire yet it might easily be prov'd that herein lies its greatest evil the Mat. 25.41 departing from God is worse than the going into everlasting fire But to apply this distinction to the business in hand How Believers are made free from the Law of temporal death 1. The Law of the Spirit of Life frees the Regenerate from death temporal Not simply and absolutely from death considered abstractly and in it-self for so all must dye Believers themselves are within the compass of the general Statute Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave but it frees from death as so qualified and so circumstantiated in the language of the Text it frees from the Law of Death How 's that why take a gracious man Death hath not a full right or an absolute power over him so as to keep him under its dominion forever for so I show'd you some open this Law of Death Such an one may dye but he shall live again the grave shall not always hold him he may be thrown into prison for a time but Christ will fetch him out and then death shall never again exercise its power over him after he hath died once he shall dye no more as 't is said of Christ Rom. 6.9 Again Grace frees from the Law of this Death that is from the hurtfulness sting and curse of it Death carries much of a curse in it 't is the result and fruit of the primitive * Gen. 2.17 curse now in this notion sanctified persons are freed from it The nature and property of death is altered to a godly man to him 't is now but the paying of that debt or tribute which is due to Nature but a (a) 1. Thes 4.14 sleep but a (b) Job 14.14 change but a (c) Luk. 2.29 departure or going out of prison but a (d) If. 57.2 going to bed but an (e) 2 Cor. 5.4 uncloathing but a passage into an endless and everlasting life an inlet into the immediate fruition of God O set but sense aside what an harmless innocent thing is this death to such a person the Lion being slain by Christ there 's hony now in the belly of it I allude to that of Sampson Judg. 14.8 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting ô grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God which give thus the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Christ by death hath overcome death unstung it and taken off its hurtful quality by dying himself he hath expiated Sin vanquished Satan atoned God satisfied the Law secured from Hell purchased eternal life and these things being done where is now the Law of Death Heb 2.14 15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of dâ—ath were all their life time subject to bondage How from the Law of eternal death 2. There is that death which is much worse than this viz. eternal death that which indeed is the death incomparably surpassing any other as no life like to eternal life so no death like to eternal death To have the Body separated for a while from the Soul is a thing to Nature very dreadful but what is that to the separation both of Body and Soul from God forever This is sometimes set forth by Death without the addition of any Epethite as Joh. 8.51 If a man keep my sayings he shall never see death Rom. 6.23 8.6 passim Sometimes by the second death and 't is so stiled because it succeeds upon and doth not commence till after the first death Rev. 2.11 He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Rev 20.6 21.4 This is that death which the * Sicut is qui liberatur a Lege Spiritus vitae permanet in Christo qui est vita ita qui servit Lege peccati permanet in morte quae venit ex damnatione peccati Orig. unconverted and impenitent are obnoxious unto but such as turn to God by true repentance and live and holy life they are freed from it And this deliverance is absolute the former was but in such a qualified sense but this I say is absolute Even such may and shall dye the first death but they shall never dye this second death Rom. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power You read of the abolishing of this death by Christ 2 Tim. 1.10 eternal death is quite abolished to all regenerate persons But this very much falls in with the No-condemnation in the foregoing Verse of which having there said enough I 'le add nothing more VSE 1. Men exhorted to live in the belief of this that 't is Sin and Death By way of Vse 1. I would exhort you all to live in the steady belief of this and often to revive it upon your thoughts that 't is Sin and Death Especially when at any time Satan and your own hearts sollicit and tempt you to sin be sure then you think of this so as to retort it upon the temptation speedily what shall I sin and dye shall I for the pleasures delights satisfaction of sin which are but * Heb. 11.25 for a season expose my self to death yea to eternal death no that I dare not that I must not do 'T is good to break the force of a temptation by such reasonings as these for though 't is true the great restraints from sin should be taken from the love of God the fear of offending God c. yet it 's good and God allows it to take in the advantage of self-love too and the fear of self-destroying Surely if men did indeed believe or did nor strangely smother and suppress all serious convictions about this that 't is sin and death they durst not sin as they do Where 's the man let him be never so thirsty or let the draught be never so alluring that would venture upon it should he
it was with Christ in reference to his Father's sending of him the Will of the Son was as much for the Work as the Will of the Father himself You must not look upon Christ as meerly passive in the Sending for in some respects he sent himself and his coming upon that great errand of mans Redemption was his own act as well as the Fathers As the Father is said to * Joh. 10.36 Sanctifie him and yet he also is said to †Joh. 17.19 sanctifie himself and as the Father is said * Rom. 8.32 to give him and yet he also is said ‖ Gal. 2.20 to give himself So here the Father is said to send him yet he also as he was One in Nature and in Will with the Father may be said to send himself thus * Fortè aliquis rogat ut dicamus etiam à seipso missum esse Filium quia Mariae conceptus partus operatio Trinitatis est Sed inquit aliquis quomodo Pater eum misit si ipse se misit Cui respondeo quaerens ut dicat quomodo eum Pater Sanctificavit si ipse se Sanctificavit utrumque enim Dominus dicit c. Item quaeio quomodo Pater eum tradidit si ipse se tradidit utrumque enim legitur Credo respondebit si probè sapit quia una vâ—luntas est Patris Filii inseparabilis operatio Aug. de Trin. lib. 2. cap. 5. Austine opens it The expression in the Text God sent his Son doth not exclude the Son or the Spirit from the sending or wholly appropriate it to the Father it only notes the Order of the Persons in their working The Father being the first in working therefore the sending of Christ is ascribed to him but there being nothing more in it than so that will not prove any inequality in the Persons or any superiority that One hath over the Other The Schoolmen give some nice and curious distinctions about Christ's being sent by himself and by the Holy Ghost as well as by the first Person but 't is not convenient to perplex the Reader with them this is one Answer for the clearing up of the difficulty and the weakening of the Objection which we have to do with 2. The Learned further distinguish of a twofold inferiority One in respect of Nature and One in respect of Office Condition or Dispensation As to the First Christ neither was nor is in the least inferiour to the Father both having the same Nature and Essence in respect of which he * Phil. 2.6 thought it not robbery to be equal with God As to the Second Christ being considered as Mediator as having assumed flesh put himself into the Sinners stead and undertaken to make Satisfaction to God so without any derogation it may be said of him that he was inferiour to the Father In reference to which it follows in the * Vers 7 8. forementioned place He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross And upon this he saith * Joh. 14.28 See this Text fully opened in Estwicke against Biddle p. 121. c. vid. etiam Epiph adver Haeres Lib. 2. Tom. 2. p. 775 c. Loquatur Filius Hominis Pater major me est loquatur Filius Dei Ego Pater unum sumus Aug. de Temp. Serm. 6. My Father is greater than I He was in Nature every way as great as the Father but he having submitted to be made Man to be a Surety having condescended to the Office and Work of a Redeemer in our Flesh so in respect of oeconomy and dispensation the Father was greater than he And by vertue of his superiority over Christ as considered in this his voluntary exinanition so he sent him and laid his commands upon him and dealt with him as you have heard but * Non ideò arbitrandum est minorem esse Filium quia missus est a Patre nec ideò minorem Spiritum Sanctum quia Pater eum misit Filius Sive enim propter visibilem Creaturam sive potius propter principii authoritatem vel commendationem non propter inequalitatem vel imparilitatem dissimilitudinem substantiae in Scripturis haec posita intelliguntur Non ergo ideò dicitur Pater misisse Filium vel Spiritum Sanctum quia ille esset major illi minores sed maximè propter authoritatem principii commendandam quia in visibili creaturâ non sicut ille apparuit Aug. de Trin. Lib. 4. Cap. 21. Missio importet minorationem in eo qui mittitur secundum quod importat processionem à principio mittente aut secundum imperium aut secundum consilium quia imperâns est major consilians est sapientior Sed in divinis non importat nisi processionem originis quae est secundum equalitatem Aquin. 1. p. Quaest 43. Art 1. resp ad Primum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Orat. 2. de Filio p. 582. yet his natural and essential greatness or equality with the Father was not at all by this impaired or lessened which was the great Truth to be secured against the Adversary Reasons why God sent Christ. The Third thing which I am to speak to is to enquire so far as the Word will warrant into the Grounds and Reasons of Christ's mission wherefore did God send him He who is so Wise that he doth nothing be it never so little or mean but he hath his Reasons for it surely in so great a thing as the sending of his own Son he had very high and weighty reasons upon which he acted And though 't is most certain that he neither had nor could have any Motives ab extra in a way of Merit to move him to this yet 't is as certain that he had great and urgent Grounds for it even such as might become a God in doing such a thing He that in Other things is a * Isa 30.18 God of judgment undoubtedly in this which was his Master-piece he would shew himself to be a God of judgment It will therefore be worthy of a modest enquiry to find out the Reasons which the wise and gracious God went upon in the sending of his Son In the General Some must be sent When I say must I do not mean any simple or absolute necessity as though it was simply and absolutely necessary that God should take some course or imploy some person from heaven for the redeeming and saving the world God forbid that I should assert a thing so utterly false and so highly derogatory from the freeness of the grace of God in what he did I only mean therefore that which we call hypothetical or conditional necessity and so the business stood thus God designed to glorifie and advance
which might be as useful in order to Information as the two Former were in order to Exhortation and Consolation Something hath been spoke for the opening of the Nature and Grounds of Christ's being sent but as to the determination or close application of that to his Person wherein we have to do with Jews and Infidels little hath been spoken I mean in that way and method which is proper to those Opposers of Christ and Christianity Here therefore I should lay down and make good these two Propositions 1. That that Jesus in whom we Christians believe even He who was born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and rose again c. I say this Jesus was the very Person whom God sent and consequently that he was the Shiloh or Messias prophesied of 2. That this Jesus was so sent by God to be the true and only Messiah as that besides and after him no other Person is to be expected in that nature or quality to be sent by God Now though these be two as weighty and as Fundamental Truths to us Christians as Christians as any whatsoever and though I could not hope to reach the great Enemies of the Gospel so as to fasten any conviction upon them yet probably I might in the pursuing of this Argument reach some weak Christians so as to confirm stablish them in the belief of these great Truths yet I shall not at present engage in the discussing of these two Propositions First because in so great Points 't is better to say nothing then not to speak fully and throughly to them which if I could other Discouragements being removed hope to do yet here in this place without making the Work in hand too vast and big to be sure I could not Secondly because however pertinent this Undertaking might be to some other Texts to that which I am upon it would not be so pertinent where the Apostles drift and design is not so much in opposition to Jews and Infidels to assert that Christ was the very Person sent of God as to assign for the Comfort of Believers the Way and Course which God took to bring about their Salvation when upon the terms of the Law it was impossible namely he sent his own Son c The Text therefore not tying me to it I may wave it I shall have work enough to go over what the proper and immediate Sense of the Contents of this Chapter will lead me to and therefore I may well cut off what is of a more remote and forraign Consideration So that this shall suffice for the First Observation Christ was sent and sent by God the Father ROM 8.3 God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh c. CHAP. XI Of Christ's being the Natural and Eternal Son of God The Second Observation spoken to Of Christ's being God's Son How his Sonship is attested in Scripture Of his being God's own Son That opened as he is considered both relatively and absolutely That He is the Natural Son of God coaequal coessential coaeternal with the Father is asserted and proved by sundry Scriptures The true Notion and Ground of Christ's Sonship vindicated against the Socinians Where 't is made good against them that He is not the Son of God 1. in respect of his miraculous Conception Nor 2. of his extraordinary Sanctification Nor 3. of his Resurrection Nor 4. of the Dignity and Advancement of his Person Nor 5. of the Father's Special Love to him Nor 6. of Adoption Nor 7. of his Likeness to God But he is the Son of God in respect of his participation of his Father's Essence and of his eternal Generation Some Others besides Socinians somewhat concern'd in this Controversie Of the different communication of the Divine Essence from the Father to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Use 1. In which by way of Inferenee 't is shown 1. That Christ is God 2. That he is a very great and glorious Person 3. That the work of Redemption was an high and costly Work Use 2. Christians from hence are exhorted 1. To study Christ in this Relation as God's own Son Some Directions given about that 2. To believe him and on him as Such 3. To honour and adore Christ 4. To admire the greatness of God's Love Use 3. To draw forth the Comfort wrapp'd up in this Relation of Christ I Proceed to the Third General observed in the Words 2. Observ Christ God's Son and his own Son the Description of the Person sent he is described by his near and special Relation to God as being God's own Son From whence the Second Observation will be this That the Lord Jesus the Person sent by God as you have heard was his Son yea his own Son 1 Joh. 4.14 We have seen and do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world Here Two things are to be spoken to 1. Christ was God's Son 2. He was God's own Son 1. First Christ was God's Son He was truly the Son of man but not only the Son of man for he was also the Son of God and he was as truly the latter as the former In reference to his Humane Nature he is stiled the * Gen. 3.15 Seed of the Woman the †Gal. 3.16 Seed of Abraham the ‖ Matth. 1.1 Son of David the * Isa 11.1 Jer. 23.5 6. Zech. 6.12 branch of the root of Jesse the Son of man in reference to his Divine Nature he is stiled the Son of God This Relative Appellation or Title is so frequently apply'd to Christ that if I should cite the several Texts where it occurs I must transcribe a great part of the New Testament Several attestations of Christ's Sonship Yet it will not be amiss to take notice of the several attestations there upon record to this great Truth As that of John Baptist Joh. 1.34 I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God That of Nathanael Joh. 1.49 Rabbi thou art the Son of God That of Peter Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Son of the living God That of the Centurion Matth. 27.54 Truly this was the Son of God That of the Eunuch Acts 8.37 I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God That of Martha Joh. 11.27 Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the world The Devils themselves witnessed to it Matth. 8.29 they cryed out saying What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God Mark 3.11 Vnclean Spirits when they saw him fell down before him and cryed saying Thou art the Son of God Christ himself even when he was speaking to God the Father often asserted and pleaded his Sonship And the Father himself in a most solemn and open manner attested it First at Christ's Baptism Matt. 3.17 Lo a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I
some things as 't is plain he was for he knew not the * Vide Najanz Orat. 36. p. 588. precise time of the day of judgment Mark 13.32 as he was God he knew all things so his Vnderstanding was infinite he must therefore have some other Vnderstanding which was but finite in reference to which there might be something which he did not know He also had an humane Will distinct from his Divine Will for what could that Will be which he did submit and subordinate to the Will of his Father but this Luk. 22.42 Nevertheless not my Will but thine be don Then for those Affections which are proper to the Soul 't is clear Christ had them as namely Anger Mar. 3.5 Mar. 10.14 Love Mat. 10.21 Sorrow Mat. 26.38 Luk. 19.41 Fear Heb. 5.7 Joy Luk. 10 21. Joh. 11.15 Pity Mat. 9.36 Mat. 13.32 Now where these three things are most certainly there is a true and real Soul Yet here also our blessed Lord and Saviour is assaulted he hath two Natures which make up his Person his Deity and his Humanity but both of them by several persons are taken away as you heard but now and there are two Essential parts which make up one of his Natures his Manhood viz. Soul and Body but both of these too by several persons are taken away also Marcion divests him of a Body and * See Epiphan vol. 1. p. 743 771. Apollinaris of a Soul the Arrians also are charged with this Heresie these held that Christ had no Soul but that the ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. lib. 5 contra Haeres cap. 11. Deity was to him instead of a Soul and supply'd the office thereof that what the Soul is to us and doth in our bodies all that the Divine Nature was to Christ and did in his Body O what light can be clear enough for their Conviction and guidance in the way of truth whom God hath given up to †2 Thes 2.11 strong delusions that they should believe lies Are not the Scriptures clear enough in this matter that Christ had a real Soul what was the subject of his inexpressible sorrow and agonies in the Garden but his Soul Matth. 26.38 My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death c. Joh. 12.27 Now is my Soul troubled and what shall I say what did he in special recommend to God when he was breathing out his last gasp but his Soul Luk. 23.46 When Jesus had cryed with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost what was the part affected in his sore desertion when he cry'd out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me surely his Body could not be the immediate subject of a punishment purely spiritual no that must terminate in his spiritual part the Soul By all this it appears then that Christ was as truly God so also truly Man he having a true Body and a true Soul Yet a little further that I may take in the whole truth Of Christ's submitting to the common Adjuncts c. of the Humane Nature and leave out nothing which may tend to the heightning of Christ's incomparable Love and condescension to Sinners he was not barely sent in Flesh so far as the verity of the Humane Nature is concern'd in his assuming the Essential parts thereof but he also submitted to the common accidents adjuncts infirmities miseries calamities which are incident to that Nature He lay so many Weeks and Months in the Virgins womb received nourishment and growth in the ordinary way was brought forth and bred up just as common Infants are ' bating some special respects shown to him to discover the greatness of his Person had his life sustain'd by common food as ours is was hungry thirsty weary poor reproached tempted deserted c. liv'd an afflicted life then dy'd a miserable death was a * Isal 53.3 man of sorrows and acquainted with grief †Phil. 2.7 made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a Servant was made in the likeness of man not only in the taking of their Nature but also in submitting to those abasements and miseries which now that Nature is lyable unto his whole life was a life of sufferings wherein as there was enough in his Holiness * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr Expos Fidei Miracles to shew him to be God so there was also enough in his meanness poverty sufferings to shew him to be Man In a word he took all our infirmities upon him take it with a double restriction 1. To all our †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascen de Orthod Fid. l. 3. c. 20. sinless infirmities such as are culpable and carry sin in them they must be excepted for though he was made like to us in all things yet without sin Heb. 4.15 2. To all our Natural infirmities as to personal infirmities such as are proper to this and that Person as blindness deafness lameness c. these Christ did not put himself under for he did not assume this or that Person but the Nature in common and therefore was not lyable to the particular infirmities of Individuums How the Humane Nature in Christ and in us differs but only to those which properly belonged to the common Nature I would carry this a little higher though I have said so much concerning the reality and sameness of Christ's Humane Nature with ours yet you are not in all respects to equalize that Nature as 't is in him and as 't is in us for Substance and Essence 't is one and the same in both yet in other considerations there 's a great disparity for 1. The Humane Nature is solely and singly in us in Christ 't is conjunctly with the Divine 2. We have it in the way of common and ordinary generation Christ had it in a special and extraordinary way 3. 'T is tainted and defil'd in us in Christ 't is perfectly pure and holy 4. In us it hath its proper subsistence in Christ it subsists only in his Godhead Thus I have shewn what this sending of Christ in the Flesh is and what it imports viz. the truth of his Incarnation of his Body and his assumption of the whole entire and perfect Nature of Man and also as the several Heads fell in my way I have out of the Word given you the proof of them I say out of the Word for these Mysteries are only to be known and believed upon the light and authority thereof if it asserts them that certainly must be sufficient to command the belief of Christians who profess in all things to make the Scriptures to be the Rule of their Faith And as to the credibility of Christ's incarnation from rational Considerations in subserviency to and grounded upon Gospel-revelation sundry * Tertull. de Carne Christi Deo nihil impossibile nisi quod non vult
greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building c. by this Tabernacle of the Lord 's pitching and not made with hands he means the body or flesh of Christ which was the true Tabernacle and of which the common Tabernacle was but a type and indeed there was so great a resemblance betwixt these two as that the one might very well prefigure and typify the other For 1. the Outside of that Tabernacle was but mean it was made without of very ordinary and common things within 't was rich and glorious it being beautified with Gold Silver Precious Stones c. but without all was plain it being covered only with Ram-skins and Goat-skins and such materials Exod. 25.1 c. and 26.14 c. So here Christ's outside was especially to some but very mean Isa 53.2 He hath no form nor comliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him but yet he was exceeding glorious within as 't is said of the Church Psal 45.13 such as had a discerning eye they could see the inward glory of his Godhead shining through the cloud of his Manhood And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Joh. 1.14 2. God's special presence was in the Tabernacle there was the Shechinah or habitation of God wherein at first by an extraordinary Cloud he signified his glorious presence to be as afterwards he did in the Temple too By which therefore Christ sets forth his Body Joh. 2.19 21. Jesus answered and said unto them Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up but he spake of the Temple of his Body Both Tabernacle and Temple were * Dr. Cudworth true Notion of the Lord's Supper p. 62. types and apt resemblances of his Flesh or Manhood in respect of the special presence and inhabitation of the Divine Nature in it Hence †Dr. Jackson on the Creed 7th Book sect 3. ch 20. Some make all those great Promises made to the people of Israel concerning God's presence with them in special in the Tabernacle and Temple to point to Christ's Incarnation and in that to receive their accomplishment you may read them Exod. 25.8 Exod. 29.44 45 46. Levit. 26.11 12 13. Ezek. 37.26 27 28. 3. The Tabernacle was a * Josephus calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 templum portatile Antiq. Jud. lib. 3. cap. 5. And Austine Templum deambulatorium moveable thing whilst Israel was in the Wilderness in an itinerary posture as they moved the Tabernacle moved with them it was not fixed all that time as afterwards it was So it was with Christ he was here on earth with his Body for some time but neither he nor it were here long to abide he ascended up to heaven and thither he carried his Body with him and there t is fixed this the Evangelist alludes unto Joh. 1.14 The Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he tented or tabernacled it for a time amongst us in respect of his short abode here in reference to which our Bodies too are set forth by Tabernacles 2 Cor. 5.1 4. 2 Pet. 1.13 14. I might also instance in Melchisedech as a personal Type of Christ he was without Father and Mother c. Heb. 7.3 which is very applicable to Christ for he as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Najanz P. 375. tom 1. Son of God was without Mother and as the Son of man without Father Well then that all these Prophesies Promises Types might be fulfill'd it was necessary that Christ should assume Flesh there 's the first Ground of it The 2d Reason why Christ was incarnate and sent in Flesh that he might be the better qualify'd for his Office and Work 2. This was necessary in regard of Christ's Office and Work 1. As to his Office He was to be the Mediatour betwixt God and Man and that was to be his great and standing Office now in order to his administration thereof it was requisite that he should be Man and take our Nature for he who will be a Mediator 'twixt God and Man must himself be both God and Man He must be God that he may be fit to transact treat negotiate with God and he must be Man that he may be fit to do the same with Man God alone was too high to deal with Man and Man alone was too low to deal with God and therefore Christ was a middle Person 'twixt both that he might deal with both He could not have been fit to be the Mediator in respect of Office if he had not first been a middle Person in respect of his Natures for saith the Apostle Gal. 3.20 A Mediator is not of one but God is one Not of one that is 1. not of one Person for mediation supposes more persons than one was there none besides God himself Christ's mediatory work would be at end that necessarily implying different parties betwixt whom he doth mediate 2. Not of one Nature the Mediator must necessarily have more Natures than one Observe it God saith the Text is one viz. as he is essentially considered and therefore as so he cannot be the Mediator but Christ as personally considered he is not of one that is not of one Nature for he is God and Man too whereupon hee 's the Person who is qualify'd to be the Mediator And therefore when he is spoken of as Mediator his Manhood is brought in that Nature being so necessary to that Office 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 2. Christ's Incarnation and Manhood was necessary in respect of that Work which he was willing to undertake I mean the Work of Redemption If he will engage to redeem and save lost Sinners he must be so qualify'd as that he may first make * Vide Anselm cur Deus Homo Lib. 1. Cap. 11 12 19 20. satisfaction to an injur'd and offended God for that God stood upon and would not recede from he had decreed as appears by the event to save man that way and what he decrees must accordingly be accomplished he had threatned death to the Sinner which threatning therefore must be inflicted either upon the Offender himself or his Surety and God as Rector mundi will vindicate the honour of his Government and therefore will punish the transgression of his Laws upon such Considerations as these there must be Satisfaction Now in order to that there must be suffering yea Christ himself must suffer partly because he was pleas'd to substitute himself in the Sinners stead and partly because his sufferings only could be satisfactory but unless he be Man how can he suffer So that the chain or link lies thus without satisfaction no redemption without suffering
alicui persuaderi potuisse valdè mirum esset nisi homines vivi capti dementati essent à Sathanâ c. Dogma tremendum Id. Hom. 8. in 1. cap. Joh. p. 87. Smalcius a very Fable yea Dogma in Christianâ religione ferè monstrosissimum with many other such vile expressions which I either dread or disdain to mention only there 's ‖ Credimus etiamsi non semel atque iterum sed satis crebrò apertissimè scriptum extaret Deum esse hominem factum multo satius esse quia haec res sit absurda fánae rationi planè contraria in Deum blasphema modum aliquem dicendi comminisci quo ista de Deo dici possint quam ista simplicitèr ita ut verba sonant intelligere c. Smalcius Homil 8. in Joh. p. 89. one from this last named Author which out-strips all the rest 't is this We believe saith he that though it should be written not once or twice but very often and that too very plainly that God was made man yet it would be much better this being a thing very absurd contrary to sound reason blasphemous against God to find out some other sense of it which might suite with the Nature of God rather than to take it literally according to what such words do hold forth thereby to expose Religion to scorn O the boldness and even blasphemy of the man 't is a vain thing to argue with these persons either in this or any other Point from the holy Scriptures for let God say there what he will if their Reason as the Supream Judge of what is to be believ'd or not to be believed doth not like it the Divine Revelation let it be never so plain signifies nothing Lord whither will the pride of Reason and the wickedness of the Heart carry men who are given up to themselves But if Scripture-revelation must be thus subjected to humane Reason let 's bid adieu to all Religion saving what is Natural I thought this had been the highest Reason in the world that Creatures should believe what God reveals because he reveals it though they with their poor dimme and shallow reason cannot comprehend what is so revealed by him but I am faln upon another Controversie I hope I speak to those who bear a greater reverence to the sacred Scriptures and surely if these may be believed what can be more clear than this that Christ is not only man but that he who was before the Son of God was afterwards in time made the Son of man Mark the Text God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh where Christ is suppos'd antecedently to be God's Son then as such he was sent and then incarnate So Gal. 4.4 When the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law Joh. 1.14 The Word was made Flesh 't is not only he that is Christ the Personal Word was Flesh but he was made Flesh so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred * Joh. 1.12 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 7.13 Gal. 3.13 Rom. 1.3 Gal. 4.4 else-where and the subject matter determines it to be so rendred here also But how was Christ made Flesh was this spoken of him only in respect of his mean afflicted calamitous state and condition here was that all that was meant by it surely no! that was so far from being all that the Evangelist had it not at all in his eye when he uttered these words for he adds and we saw his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father he joyns his being made flesh with the glory of his Person not with the meanness of his condition and further the Substance must antecede the Adjunct the truth of the humane Nature must go before the abasement and miseries of it So that when 't is said the Word was made Flesh it can carry no other sense than that Christ took the very Nature and Substance of man upon him I say Christ for 't is very evident where men do not wilfully shut their eyes that he is all along set forth by the Word he being the personal essential and substantial Word now observe he was the Word before he assum'd Flesh and he who was so praeexisting he assumed Flesh for 't is the Word was made Flesh plainly implying the antecedency of his being in that notion to this his incarnation SOCINVS is shrewdly pinch'd with this Text insomuch that he is fain to fall upon every word in it with his usual Criticisms and forc'd senses thereby to evade and elude the strength of it but all his attempts are in vain So also for the Word is not sparing in the revealing of this Truth though our * Socin de Nat. Christi p. 7. Smalc Hom. 8. in 1. c. Joh. p. 88. Adversaries are pleas'd to assert the contrary Heb. 2.14 16. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham here the Apostle lays it down over and over by taking he took part of the same he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham thereby to note Christ's assuming of the humane Nature and joyning of it to that other Nature which he had before 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh c. a Person here must be spoken of and the Lord Jesus must be that Person for the following matter justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into Glory is only applicable to a Person and to Christ as that Person by the way * Erasmus Grotius c. they who alter the reading of the Text putting out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and putting in ὠand so carrying it from the Person of Christ to the Gospel have done no good service either to the truth in general or in special to that particular Truth which I am upon now 't is not here said only that Christ was manifested in the Flesh but God was c. to shew that he who was incarnate for that 's the manifestation in the flesh here intended was first God or God before and then he was incarnate 'T is a mighty Scripture that in Phil. 2.6 7. Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God here 's Christ's praeexisting in the Nature of the Godhead and then after this comes his Manhood But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men 'T would be a long work to draw out the full strength of these and
that being suppos'd to be modest and rectified yet 't is infinitely above it There are several unions in Nature but all come short of this there 's no resemblance in the whole compass of Nature that doth exactly reach it Some I know speak of a * See Mr. Perkins on Galat. p. 273. plant which hath no root of its own only it grows and is sustain'd by a tree of another kind by which they would shadow out the subsistence of the Humane Nature of Christ in the Divine Others tell us the union of the * Yet there is a disparity in the union of these two in Man and of the two Natures in Christ Of which seè Dr. Jackson on the Creed 7th B. p. 333. Soul and Body in Man is of all resemblances the most fully expressive of this Vnion Now 't is granted these or some other such-like resemblances may hold forth something of it but alas 't is but something they go but a little way their discoveries are as imperfect as those which some Travellers make of the World who when they have seen and said all they can do yet leave a vast terra incognita undiscovered Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh c. Christ's incarnation hath the precedency before all the other mysteries which are there mentioned about him if that in it self be such a mystery how must the mystery thereof be heightned the Hypostatical Vnion being taken in and added to it The Mystical Vnion is very mysterious the Hypostatical Vnion much more Well therefore might I in the Proposition thus lay it down that the uniting of the Humane Nature in Christ to the Divine is done in a most mysterious and unconceivable manner Well! upon the due weighing of that which hath been said it concerns me with all tenderness and humility to treat of this Argument and to fetch in all the light and direction that ever I may for I shall need it all from the Word and Spirit The Hypostatical Vnion opened in some Particulars 'T is not a common or ordinary Vnion but special and extraordinary 1. I desire that this in the General may be taken notice of that the Hypostatical Vnion is no common or ordinary Vnion but that which is special and extraordinary O 't is an Union by it self that which is of a very different and peculiar nature from all other Vnions Of which there is great diversity for instance there 's an Union by apposition as in the several parts of a building by mixtion as in the several Elements in a compound body by alteration as when water is turned into wine there is a Natural Vnion as in the Soul and Body in man a Moral Vnion as betwixt Friend and Friend a Relative Vnion as betwixt Husband and Wife a Mystical Vnion as betwixt Christ and Believers an Vnion in respect of special presence or inhabitation of special assistance of special grace and favour which was all that Nestorius would grant in the Vnion of Christ's Divine Nature with his Humane but most falsely * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athan de Inc. Verbi Dei p. 593. for then there would be no more for substance in the Hypostatical Vnion then what there is in that which belongs to all Believers Christ being in these respects united also to them though in a lower degree Now some of these Vnions are not at all applicable to Christ such as are so do yet come short of that high and glorious Vnion that is betwixt his Godhead and his Manhood alas take the highest of them what is it when compar'd with the Hypostatical Vnion You 'l ask me why or what is there in that more than in them let the following head be observed and there will be the Solution of this Question I add therefore The two great things wherei◠it consists 2. The two Natures are so united in Christ as that the Humane doth subsist in the Divine and that both do make up but one Person Herein lies the formal nature of the Hypostatical Vnion that wherein it differs from and transcends all other Vnions whatsoever the explication of this therefore I must a little insist upon Of the Subsistence of the Humane Nature in the Divine 1. First the conjunction of the two Natures in Christ is so near as that the Godhead imparts subsistence to the Manhood for the Manhood as 't is in Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having no subsistence but what it hath in the Personality of the eternal Word so it subsists and no otherwise And here 's one great difference 'twixt the Humane Nature as in us and as in Christ in us it hath its proper personality and subsistence in Christ it hath not so But how comes this about take an answer to that from a * Estwick against B. p. 113 Judicious Divine It 's true saith he the essential parts of a man's Body and Soul being united would have constituted a Person as they do in all other men if they had been left to themselves but it was prevented and stayd from subsisting in it self and was drawn into the Unity of the second Person by Divine and supernatural operation whereby it was highly advanced and subsists in a more eminent sort than it could have done if it had become a rational humane Person * Incarnatio non est qualiscunque unio sed est specialissima proxima immediatissuna unio quâ Persona divina humanam Naturam suâ Personalitate carentem it a terminat ut eam personaliter sustentet ipsique illud complementum attamen longè eminentiori modo communicet quod a suà connaturali Personalitate accepisset Bisterf contra Crell p. 568. Vid. Davenant in Colos p. 244. And this may also prevent that Objection which from hence so readily offers it self viz. that if the Humane Nature in Christ hath not a personal subsistence belonging to it then it wants that perfection which that Nature commonly hath in all Men which seems to make it less perfect and excellent in him than 't is in them This is easily answered the Consequence is not good because the want of this subsistence is compensated with advantage in that subsistence which the Manhood hath in the Godhead in which the Humane Nature subsisting 't is so far from being depress'd that 't is highly advanc'd as the Sensitive Soul in man being joyn'd with a nobler Soul and subsisting in it is thereupon more excellent than the sensitive Soul in a Beast though there it hath a subsistence distinct from and independent upon the reasonable Soul The two Natures make but one Person 2. Secondly Such is the Vnion of the Humane with the Divine Nature in Christ that 't is taken into his * Deus in aeternam personam Deitatis temporalem accepit substantiam Carnis August Duas substantias accipimus in uno Filio Dei unam Deitatis aliam
Humanitatis non duas Personas Idem de Trinit Unit. Dei Vid. Anselm de Incarn Verbi cap. 5. p. 87. Person and both make but one * Person Here 's the difference 'twixt the essential union of the three Persons where there is but one Nature yet three Persons as also 'twixt the mystical Vnion of Believers where there is the Union of Persons yet not so as to make one Person and the Hypostatick Vnion of the two Natures in Christ for against the former here is distinction of Natures yet but oneness of Person and against the latter here is the union of Natures so as to make but one Person And this follows upon the former head for if the Manhood hath not personality in it self but only subsists in the Godhead then it cannot cause any personal multiplication in him In short in Christ there is Nature and Nature but not Person and Person aliud aliud but not * In Deo non aliud aliud quia una Natura in Christo non alius alius quia una Persona alius alius for 't is but one Christ as Soul and Body make but one Man so God and Man make I say but one Christ We call it the Personal Vnion but how not because 't is made up of Persons but because it centers in one Person Christ took the †Aquin. Sum. 3. parte quaest 4. Art 2. Nature of of man but not the Person of man Nature did not assume Naturè nor did Person assume Person but Person assumed Nature He was a Person before incarnation and his personality or a distinct personality did not result from the unition of the two Natures only they are said to make one Person as the latter Nature makes no personal addition to Christ And he was a * Vid. Daven in Colos 242. perfect Person before the Vnion only in ordine ad finem the redeeming of man he was pleased to take the Manhood into communion with the Godhead So much for these two things wherein the nature of the Hypostatical Vnion mainly lies In this Vnion no conversion or confusion of the two Natures 3. Though this Vnion be thus close and intinious yet notwithstanding the Essence Properties Operations of both Natures are preserv'd entire without any conversion or confusion Nestorious multiplies the Person Eutyches eris upon another extream as 't is usual when the staff is crooked and bends too much one way they that would make it strait do often make it to bend as much the other way he confounds the Natures to shun the plurality of Persons he destroyes the distinction of the Natures asserting that after the Union the Humane Nature was wholly smallowed up in the Divine and so leaving but one Nature to Christ both of these Opinions were condemned by the Primitive Church as equally false heretical and dangerous Here 's the admirableness of this Union though the Godhead and the Manhood are brought into so near a conjunction yet both retain that which is essential and proper to each the One is not converted into the Other nor yet both confounded in one The Word was made Fesh but not so as to * O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Najanz Orat. 35 375. Non potes dicere nisi natusfuisset hominem verè induisset Deus esse desi-'ssit amittens quod erat dum fit quod non erat Periculum enim status sui Deo nullum est c. Terrull de Carn Chr. p. 359. Quasi non valuerit Christus vere hominem indutus Deus perseverare Idem p. 360. Verbum caro factum est c. non in carnem mutatum ut desisteret esse quod erat sed caepit esse quod non erat August de Trin. Unit. tom 4. p. 947. Ep. 174. Non mutando quod erat sed assumendo quod non erat cease to be the Word still when Christ was incarnate he did not part with what he had only he â—ook what he had not there was assumption but no abolition * Nemo credat Dei Filium coaeternum coaequalem conversum esse in hominis Filium sed potius credamus ut non consumptâ Divinâ perfectè assumptâ humanâ substantiâ manentem Dei Filium factum hominis Filium August de Temp. Serm. 23. p. 616. c. Neutra tamen ex duabus Naturis in aliam mutata est substantiam unita quippe est non confusa Verbi Dei hominisque substantia ut in Deum quod ex nobis fusceptum fuerat perveniret O admirabile mysterium O innarrabile commercium Aug. Medit. c. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Orth. Fid. lib. 3. cap. 2. vide etiam ibid. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Najanz Orat. 39 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Nyssen contra Apollinar l. 2. p. 69. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isidor Pelus l. 1. Ep. 323. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Joh. 1.14 Vid. Athan. de Inc. Christi p. 624. See Leporius his recantation in Cassian de sucarn Dom. L. 1. Agit utraque for ma cum alterius communione quod proprium est Verbo scil operante quod Verbi est carne exequente quod carnis est Leo in Ep. ad Flav. Ep. Constantinop no conversion no confusion Indeed the two Natures stand at so great a distance that though they may admit of Vnion yet they are not capable of any transmutation or commixtion the Godhead can never be so depress'd as to be turn'd into the Manhood nor the Manhood ever be so advanc'd as to be turn'd into the Godhead The Athanasian Creed thus sets it forth Although Christ be God and Man yet he is but one Christ one not by conversion of the Godhead into Flesh but by taking of the Manhood into God one altogether not by confusion of substance but by unity of Person The Scriptures plainly hold forth the two Natures of Christ to be distinct even after the Vnion turn to Rom. 1.3 4. Rom. 9.5 1 Pet. 3.18 2 Cor. 13.4 To which Texts let me add a few Considerations drawn out of some other Texts Christ sayes * Joh. 10.30 I and my Father are one there 's his Godhead but withal he sayes †Joh. 14.28 my Father is greater than I there 's his Manhood too he sayes ‖ Joh. 8.58 Before Abraham was I am there 's his being God and yet he was born but the other day there 's his being Man too he had the Divine Nature for he was Omniscient but he had the Humane also at the same time for he 's said to * Luk. 2.52 grow in wisdom and †Mark 13.32 not to know the time of the last Judgment of which before he was God and so the Father's Will and his were all one but he was also Man and so he pray'd * Luk. 22.42 Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done He was the â€
Adam's loins too for his genealogie is carried up to Adam Luk. 3. yet he not descending from him in the ordinary fleshly way his Person was exempted from the guilt of his sin and his Nature from the general depravation 3. Christ was actually Holy there was nothing but holiness in whatever he did all his actings inward and outward did exactly correspond with the Nature and Will of his Father he never was guilty of the least sin in thought word or deed sin was neither contracted nor * Eandem assumsit Naturam Chriâ—tus sed in ea non peccaviâ— Ambros committed by him Grace and Holiness were advanced in him to the highest pitch according to the utmost capacity of the Humane Nature without the least mixture of what is contrary thereunto in a word he liv'd in his whole course a most holy innocent spotless sinless life as the Scriptures which have been alledged do abundantly testifie The Grounds of Christ's Holiness and Sanctity This sanctity and sinlessness of Christ's Humane Nature was necessary upon a double account 1. To fit it for the personal union with his Divine Nature Can it be imagin'd that ever the Lord Jesus would take a Nature tainted with sin and so nearly unite it to himself when the Divine Nature stood at so great a distance from sin can we without blasphemy think that it would assume the Humane Nature had it been sinful into so close an union as that both should make but one person O such a thing was not possible God can take a sinning if repenting Creature into his bosom but he cannot take a sinning Nature into his Person Christ might condescend to take flesh yet be God but he could not have taken sinful flesh and yet be God the humane nature simply considered was not inconsistent with his Godhead but that Nature if sinful was 2. This was necessary in respect of Christ's Office and undertaking for our good In order to which as he must be man so he must be man perfectly holy and righteous for he that is a sinner himself cannot be a Saviour to other sinners then 't would be Physician heal thy self or Saviour save thy self all that such a one could do would be little enough for himself Christ was both Priest and Sacrifice with respect to both he must be without sin as Priest for if sin had been chargeable upon him he must then have offer'd for himself and so have been in the same condition with the Priests under the Law which the Apostle shews he was not Heb. 7.26 27. As Sacrifice too for whatever was offer'd up to God it was to have no blemish in it In allusion to which the Apostle calls him a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.19 answerably to the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12.5 and to the two Lambs in the fire-offering Numb 28.3 and he 's said to offer himself without spot to God Heb. 9.14 How could Christ have taken off guilt from us had he had it lying upon himself or how could he have made us righteous had he not been righteous himself therefore 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many mark it Christ being a righteous Person himself so he comes to justifie and make others righteous so 1 Joh. 3.5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin the connexion is observeable * Si esset in illo peccatum auferendum esset illi non ipse auferret August he that will take away sin from others must have no sin in himself Christ coming for that end therefore in him there was no sin Three things as †one observes from the words were requisite to him that should be the Mediator he must be God he must be Man * Piscat he he must be perfectly and unmixtly holy all these three qualifications you have in the Text Christ was God's own Son there 's his Godhead he was sent in flesh there 's his Manhood he was sent but in the likeness of sinful flesh there 's his purity and holiness Having done with the Explicatory part Use 1. Information I come now to what is Applicatory Where in the first place passing by other things these two we are mainly informed of 1. Of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion 2. Of the excellency of Christ's Flesh or Manhood Of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion 1. First that great Truth which I have been upon informs us of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion The more raised and mysterious the things are which the one reveals and the other believes the more excellent must both of them needs be for this is a Principle grounded upon Reason and strengthned by the Consent of all who pretend to Religion whether it be true or false What more common amongst men when they would argue for the excellency either of that from which they fetch their Religion or of their Religion it self than to cry up the mysteries and to tell us what high sublime mysterious things are contained in them These make a great impression upon mens minds and strongly induce them to believe that whatever hath in it such mysteries must certainly be of God and have a divine Original therefore Heathens themselves as well as Christians have much pleas'd themselves with this and have been great pretenders to such and such mysteries thereby to gain credit and reputation to their way Now let us apply this Principle or common test to the Gospel-revelation and the Christian Religion and then I 'm sure their excellency above all other pretended Revelations and Religions will be evident For look into all those admired and rare Secrets those high and raised mysteries which they who know not the Gospel did so much cry up and magnifie and do but compare them with this one mystery God 's own Son sent in flesh alas what trifles what shallow contemptible ridiculous things are they in comparison of it A God incarnate shames all the little mysteries of the Pagan Religion if so good a title may be given to so bad a thing they all vanish before this and are not able to stand in competition with it Now where is this profound mystery revealed but in the Gospel and where is that revelation believed but in the Christian Religion therefore how excellent must both needs be upon this account The Heathens knew nothing at all of this they dreamt of Men being made Gods but that he who was truly God should be made truly Man this they were altogether ignorant of in all their Religion there was no such mystery The Apostle cryes out 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh c. his design in these
see Heb. 5.7 Thus you are to understand the Apostle in these words and not as if he laid aside all knowledge of or respects unto the Lord Jesus as considered in his Humane Nature In believing we must eye a whole Christ Christ God and Christ Man too his whole Person with both his Natures is the proper object of Faith And certainly there 's something in 't that believing is so much set forth by its reference to his Flesh as Joh. 6.53 54 56. Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Take away this Flesh and Christ's fitness to be a Mediator to God and a Saviour to us ceases and consequently his fitness too to be the object of saving Faith 't is Christ God-Man whom in believing you have to do with and you are neither so to eye his Manhood as to overlook his Godhead nor so to eye his Godhead as to overlook his Manhood both together do your work Upon the whole therefore you are in the actings of Faith to look upon Christ as having assum'd your Nature and so to rest upon him 2d Branch of the Exhortation To be much in the study and contemplation of a Christ incarnate 2. Secondly be much in the study and contemplation of Christ as sent in flesh What an object is a Christ incarnate for these I have press'd you to study him as the Son of God I would also press you to study him as the Son of Man to know him as God's own Son and as having taken our own Flesh there 's the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the * Phil. 3.8 excellency of the knowledge of him What dry insipid jejune knowledge is all other in comparison of the knowledge of Christ as God-Man One dram of this especially if saving practical and fiducial is better than great heaps of meer natural and philosophical knowledge It cannot be enough lamented that Christ in his Person Natures Offices is so little known as to that which I am treating of his assuming Mans nature how little do the most understand of it all hope to be saved by a Christ incarnate but alas they know not what a Christ incarnate is in the general possibly they can tell you he was a Man but if you examine them about particulars what woful ignorance will you find in them is not this to be greatly bewail'd Nay go even to Saints themselves how scant and dimme is their light and knowledge about this none can know it fully some know nothing of it they who know something 't is God knows but very little in comparison of what they might they wade but ankle deep into this great depth is there not need therefore of this advice to stir you up to the studying of Christ as sent in the flesh O that you would study other things less and this more that you would every day with all due sobriety be prying searching diving into this mystery of a God manifested in the flesh so the Angels do this is one of those things which they desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 and we being more concern'd in it than they shall not we be looking into it David says Psal 111.2 The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein here 's a great work indeed the greatest that ever was done by God many great and glorious things he hath done but the sending of his own Son in our flesh exceeds them all now shall not this be sought out by us Things are to be studyed according to their excellency in themselves and their influence upon the good of others there are in a very eminent manner both of these inducements in the Incarnation of Christ to draw out our most serious endeavours after the knowledge of it for what so excellent in it self so beneficial to Man as that It stands very high in the place and reference which it bears in and to the Gospel 't is the Soul and Spirit the marrow and kernel of the whole Gospel one of the highest discoveries which the Gospel makes all the Articles of Faith saith * Dr. Sibbs o◠1 Tim. 3.16 p. 65. one stoop and vail to it and if so what a necessity doth this lay upon you to search as narrowly into it as ever you can Pray do not object the mysteriousness of the thing as if it was so much above you that you were not to meddle with it for 1. Though it be a great mystery yet 't is a mystery in a great measure revealed 2. The more mysterious it is the more need there is of the most diligent inquisition into it 3. 'T is a mystery to curb curiosity and Pride but not to stifle sober and modest enquiries Further be much in meditating upon and contemplating of Christ as sent in the flesh You are to study him that you may know more of him to meditate upon him that you may draw out and improve what you do know O Sirs he that is in your Nature in Heaven should he not be very much in your hearts here on earth A Christ incarnate how should our Souls be swallowed up in thinking of him as such What doth the whole world afford so deserving of our most fixed thoughts is there any flower in Natures garden out of which such sweetness may be suck'd what divine comfort what heavenly delights must needs flow from hence to the Soul that is much in the contemplation of it Is the foundation of our eternal happiness laid in it and shall we not mind it is it a thing so rare so unparallel'd and yet shall it be seldom in our thoughts What fools are we to suffer our selves to be so much taken up with trifles and shadows when we might live in the daily view of Christ God-Man why should an empty perishing world engross our thoughts when we have such an object as a Jesus incarnate to contemplate why do we dwell so much upon fleshly things of a deceiving and defiling nature when the flesh-assuming Christ the spotless and undefiled flesh of the holy Jesus is either not at all regarded or very hastily pass'd over 'T is said of Isaac Gen. 24.63 He went out to meditate in the field O Christians what a spacious and delicious field is Christ's Humane Nature for you to meditate in and upon O that you would go out frequently and so do You say sometimes you would imploy your thoughts in divine Meditation and Contemplation but you cannot call to mind a proper object for it or you are presently on ground and want matter for your thoughts to work upon 'pray when 't is so fix upon the Word as made Flesh there 's a fit and
full object for these things where think and think as long as you will yet fresh matter will offer it self that 's a Well out of which the more you draw the fuller you 'l find it to be Psal 104.34 My meditation of him saith David shall be sweet surely the believer may say My meditation of God who as he was made Man shall be sweet O that you would live in the daily exercise of this heavenly duty upon this excellent object What a blessed thing would it be if we could lie down rise up with a Christ and especially a Christ incarnate in our minds Me thinks that which was the product and matter of God's thoughts from everlasting should very much be the subject and matter of our thoughts in time 3d. Branch of the Exhortation To adore the mystery it self and also the Father and the Son in the mystery 3. Thirdly was Christ sent in Flesh yea in the likeness of sinful Flesh this should strike us all with amazement and astonishment how should we admire and wonder at this dispensation Was it so indeed that such a person did become man such a man O the wonder of wonders here 's nothing but Wonders a conflux and complication of Wonders in this one thing there are many Wonders and those too not of the lowest rank but the highest that ever were Who can duly think of weigh ponder upon what is here laid down without being transported and swallowed up in high and holy admiration The glorified ones in heaven are alwayes wondring and what is it which causeth them so to do 't is the beholding of Christ in our flesh they began betimes so to do even as soon as ever Christ had assumed our Nature and they continue still to do the same and so they will to all eternity The Angels were so full of joy and admiration upon the first breaking out of this that they must come from heaven and give some vent to themselves in singing * Luk. 2.14 Glory to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men Now when there is such admiring and wondring in heaven shall there be none in earth Things which are mysterious and strange affect us very much was there ever any thing so mysterious and strange as the incarnation of the Son of God this is a mystery indeed the first link in that chain of mysteries 1 Tim. 3.16 When little things make us wonder 't is an evidence of weakness when great things do not make us wonder 't is an evidence either of great inconsideracy or gross stupidity The proud Philosopher scorns to wonder at any thing in Nature but the humble Christian who hath things before him far more sublime and unsearchable than any mysteries in Nature may well stand and wonder at those things in Religion which 't is not possible for him to comprehend Amongst which what more incomprehensible take it in all respects than the incarnation of God's own Son he that doth not wonder at this pray what will he wonder at To be more particular and distinct in the urging of this duty of humble and thankful admiration two things I would say 1. Admire in reference to the thing it self The mystery of Christ's Incarnation to be admired 2. Admire God and Christ the Persons who had the hand in it 1. For the thing it self Christ in our flesh 'pray pause and ruminate a while upon it and then tell me what you think of it the more you look into it and consider it the more you will admire it A God to be made Man a God to take dust for flesh is but living or breathing dust into intimate conjunction with himself a God to submit for some time to lie in the womb of a Virgin O wonderful Here 's finite and infinite joyn'd in one eternity match'd with time the Creator and a Creature making but one Person here 's the Lord and Soveraign of the world marrying into a mean and broken Family the maker of the Universe made himself here 's two Natures which stood at an infinite distance each from the other hypostatically united here 's the verity of flesh and yet but the similitude of sinful flesh here 's a man begotten without man a * Filius Dei de Patre sine matre Filius hominis de matre sine Patre Aug. de temp Serm. 23. Vide Tertull de carne Christi p. 373. Vacabat viri semen c. Son without a Father for though Christ had more than a putative body yet as Man he had no more than a putative Father Luk. 3.23 Jesus began to be about thirty years of age being as was supposed the Son of Joseph c. here 's a Virgin conceiving and bringing forth a Son she remaining a Virgin still Jer. 31.22 The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man are not all these stupendious amazing never enough to be admired things How do wonders here grow upon us no sooner doth one go off but presently another succeeds in its room Christ wrought many miracles in his Flesh but the greatest miracle of all was his assuming flesh let Jews and Infidels scoff and deride the sincere Christian must admire and adore 2. For the Persons who had the great hand in this they are to be admired too I 'le instance 1. in God the Father 2. in God the Son God the Father to be admired 't is shown how or wherein 1. God the Father hee 's to be admired For 't was he who sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh he ordain'd and order'd all about this he laid the foundation of it in his own purpose and will it was the * Psal 118.23 Lord's doing from first to last should it not be marvellous in our eyes I and as was said before 't was the highest thing that ever he did in this with reverence be it spoken he went to the utmost of all his Attributes In Christ's Incarnation saith a * Mr. Burroughs Gosp Conv. p. 89. Reverend Divine we may see God as it were resolving to do a work from himself to the uttermost to manifest the uttermost of his glory in a work out of himself The work of God within himself was his eternal Generation and the Procession of the Holy Ghost but now God would work out of himself and that to the utmost extent He had made a World but there he had not manifested the uttermost of his glory therefore God will c. what 's that to take the Nature of man into a personal union with his Son that 's the uttermost Now where God goes to the utmost of his Attributes it becomes us to go to the utmost of our thankfulness and admiration There are Four Attributes in God which upon the account of Christ's Incarnation can never be enough admired 1. His Wisdom in finding out such a glorious way for the Sinners recovery This was
Dominus David semen Abrahae qui est ante Abraham Factor terrae factus in terrâ August de Temp. Serm. 20. Serm. 23. He who sate upon the throne was willing to lie in the manger he that was clothed with brightness and Majesty disrob'd himself put off his own royal attire and put on our course rags he who fill'd the World confin'd himself to a Womb he who was the Maker of all own'd a poor Woman for his Mother he who was David's Lord became David's Son what unsearchable mysteries of the Grace of Christ are here He had Angels at his beck and might have employ'd one of them upon this service but he would not he 'l come himself and trust no Creature in such an undertaking was not this Love God's first love saith * Dr. Reyn. on the Passions ch 11. p. 99. one to man was in making man like himself his Second great love was in making himself like man There 's †1 Joh. 3.1 a what manner of love upon the Sons of men being made the Sons of God but what manner of love was there in this that the Son of God should be made the Son of Man I have nothing to say but wonder wonder This great person vouchsafed to come so near to believers that he is not ‖ Heb. 2.11 ashamed to call them Brethren he was willing to be made like to them that they might be made like to him he took of theirs that he might give them of his and since they could not * Deplorata certè res erat nisi Majestas ipsa Dei ad nos descenderet quando ascendere nostrum non erat Calvin Instit l. 2. c. 12. ascend to him he was pleased to descend to them O inexpressible Love He did not only take flesh but that very flesh and blood which we have yea he stoop'd to the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost likeness of our sinful flesh and how did he abase himself by and in this flesh Phil. 2.7 8. But made himself of no reputation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he emptied himself as it were of all his former glory and fulness and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross Christ's external state in our Nature was so low and mean which he yet never stuck at or regarded * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. de Inc. verbi p. 96. his design being to do good and not to appear in any worldly pomp or grandeur that it seem'd to be below him not only as he was God but even as he was Man He who before was equal to God was now scarce equal to Man 't was prophetically spoken in his person Psal 22.6 I am a worm and no man nay he was scarce equal to the meanest of other creatures for he saith Matth. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head now surely the lower Christ's condition was the higher should be our admiration of his Love When the Humane Nature as in us was at the worst sadly tainted by Adam's fall then Christ took it upon him though our stock was now sowre and degenerate yet he was willing to be ingrafted into it When the noblest Families are under an attainder of treason persons are very shy of matching into them 't was no better than so with ours and yet the Lord Jesus did not refuse to match into it My Brethren had he assum'd our Nature before we had spoyl'd it even that had been an admirable condescention but to assume it when in us it was so spoil'd defac'd here was the highest condescention that was imaginable The Angelical Nature was pure and untainted for though many Angels had sinned yet their Nature was not touch'd because they not standing in a Common Head as Man did the Fall of some did not reach the whole order and yet Christ meddled not with that Nature but with ours Heb. 2.16 Verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham O the grace and love of Christ to Man There are Five expressions concerning him under the word made every one of which holds forth the greatness of his humiliation and consequently of his love 1. He was made flesh Joh. 1.14 2. He was made of a woman Gal. 4.4 he might have had flesh immediately created but 't was not so there was the instrumental concurrence of a woman to it which heightens his humiliation therein then 3. he was made under the Law Gal. 4.4 yea 4. he was made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 yea 5. he was made sin 2 Cor. 5.21 Now though there be some gradual rise or rather fall in all these yet I conceive the first holds forth the greatest humiliation the reason is because there is a greater distance and repugnancy betwixt God and Flesh than there is betwixt Flesh and any of the other things which follow but shall not all put together highly affect us and fill our Souls with high thoughts of the Love of Christ Blessed God! what hearts have we if such Considerations as these will not work them up to a Christ-admiring frame Dear Saviour thou who didst once take our sinless flesh be pleas'd to take away our lumpish dull sinful hearts that there may be in us some such warm and raised affections as may in some measure answer to thine immense Love in thy Incarnation 2. Admire the Holiness of Christ That he should take true flesh and yet but the likeness of sinful flesh be so like a sinner and yet no sinner come so near to sin and yet be so far off from it assume our Nature so wofully corrupted and vitiated as it is in us and live so long in that Nature after it was assum'd and yet be perfectly free from sin that so much sin should lye upon him and yet not the least sin be committed by him O this is very strange and wonderful Who can touch pitch and not be defiled who can take a Nature which in its proper subject was wholly depraved and yet be holy why Christ did so and yet was holy and if he could not have so done without impeaching his Holiness as well as he lov'd man he would never have been made man O let the Holiness of Christ be adored by you 3. Admire the Power of Christ That that Nature which is so weak in us should be so strong in him that he even in our flesh should be able to do and suffer as he did this is admirable Therein he bafled a tempting Devil bore up under the greatest pressures that ever lay upon any did not sink under all his Sufferings wrought unquestionable Miracles pacified divine wrath satisfy'd God's Justice fulfilled the Law condemned sin
of our Nature How is that Nature advanced by Christ's assuming of it that which was his abasement was its advancement As a mean family is advanc'd when some person of eminency marry's into it so Christ having match'd into our broken and decay'd Nature what an honour did he thereby reflect upon it God put a great deal of glory upon it in its first creation Christ hath put much more glory upon it in the Hypostatical Vnion The Angelical Nature in some respects is above ours but in others ours is above it the Angels are not so concern'd in the mystical conjunction to Christ as we are their advantages by a Saviour are not so high as ours they are confirmed by Christ in a state of happiness and that 's all but we are confirmed and restored too the great things which are done by Christ as Mediator he doth them in our Nature and the great Honor which is conferr'd upon him refers to him in our Nature 't is the Son of Man who stands on the right hand of God Act. 7.56 Dominion and Glory and the Kingdom is given to the Son of man Dan. 7.13 14. hee 'l judge the world as the Son of man Matth. 25.31 Joh. 5.27 But the main preheminence of the Humane Nature above the Angelical lies in the intimate uniting of it to the divine Nature Heb. 2.16 Verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Man was the creature that was to be redeemed and therefore 't was the Nature of man that shall be assumed can we think of this without great joy Christ himself as Man is above us in all things he must have the preheminence Col. 1.18 but Angels who are of another order in several respects are below us Christ incarnate must needs be very compassionate 6. A Christ incarnate is and must needs be very compassionate This was one great reason why he took our Nature upon him and in that Nature was exercis'd with such sorrows and sufferings that he might the better know how to sympathize with his members in all their sorrows and sufferings Heb. 2.17 18. In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 4.15 We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin He that hath felt what others undergo knows the better how to pity them sense and experience further compassion where persons are not made of flint none sympathize so much with those who labour under Gout Stone c. as those who have been afflicted with those pains themselves God told the people of Israel they knew the heart of a stranger seeing they themselves were strangers in the Land of Egypt Exod. 23.9 How then must the bowels of Christ work towards afflicted ones he himself having been afflicted just as they are besides the mercifulness and tenderness of his heart there is also his own former experience which is yet fresh in his memory of their miseries which doth much draw out his compassion to them Pray what are your afflictions let them be what they will Christ underwent the same are you poor so was he are you tempted so was he are you deserted so was he are you burdened under the weight of sin so was he though in a different way do you suffer by men so did he And if there be any infirmities which he did not lie under yet he knows how to pity you for though he did not feel those particular infirmities in kind such as sickness blindness c. yet he had some others which were equivalent to them and so by proportion he knows how to commiserate you so it comes in Heb. 5.2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity 'T is some alleviation to our grief in our troubles when we know we have some who sympathize with us under them O you that fear the Lord know in all your sorrows sufferings troubles whatsoever Christ in heaven hath a fellow-feeling and sympathy with you he suffers no more but he sympathizes still let this be an allay to your grief and a support to your faith There 's ease and relief from this under all troubles of mind 7. Lastly There 's something in this which may give ease and relief under all troubles of mind There 's such a fulness in this Truth for the comfort of Souls that there is scarce any inward trouble or discouragement which gracious persons here are exercised with wherein they may not find considerable relief and satisfaction for conscience from this Incarnation of the Son of God Christ's flesh is precious balm for a wounded Spirit as 't is meat indeed to feed the hungry Soul so 't is balm indeed to heal the wounded Soul 't is an universal catholick Cordial to revive and cheer under all faintings whatever Do I speak to any who are under spiritual darkness O that a Christ in Flesh might be thought of and improv'd by such To instance in the special fears complaints discouragements burdens of troubled Souls and to shew what there is in Christ as incarnate proper for their support and comfort under all would be a vast work I must therefore only hint a few things Are you tempted to entertain hard thoughts of God to question the mercifulness of his Nature his goodness c do you conceive of him in some hideous and frightful manner you greatly mistake God and think very much amiss of him First think of God in Christ and then of Christ in flesh and surely you 'l have other apprehensions A Christ sent in flesh represents God as benign good merciful gracious full of pity tender-hearted as designing nothing but good to repenting sinners did he thus send his own Son and is he not all this after he hath done such a thing can you imagine that he delights in the death of sinners or that he will not be gracious to all who fly to him Are you afraid because of the Justice and Wrath of God pray remember therefore Christ came in flesh that he might satisfie the one and pacifie the other these were the very things which he undertook to accomplish and what he undertook no question but he went through with Doth Sin lie heavy upon your Consciences mark the Text God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh for what end for sin to condemn sin in the flesh sin brought Christ from heaven and he would not return thither again 'till by a Sacrifice offered in his flesh he had fully expiated it Sin it self could not
was so set upon it that in order thereunto he will on purpose send his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh yea in that flesh to offer up himself as a Sacrifice and so to bring about sins condemnation The Explication of the Words But to come to the close handling of the Words They being somewhat obscure my first work must be to open them that I may the better make way for the main Observation which they resolve themselves into There are three things in them to be explain'd 1. The condemning of Sin 2. The condemning of Sin for sin 3. The condemning of Sin in the Flesh What is meant by the condemning of Sin epened more generally 1. What doth the Apostle mean by the condemning of sin and for sin condemned sin c The word in its usual acceptation is apply'd to Persons rather than to Things yet in such a sense 't is properly enough applicable to them also viz. as it signifies the disallowing disapproving sentencing or judging of them to be so and so evil according to which signification sin may as truly be said to be condemn'd as the sinner himself in any other notion But this will not reach the full scope and emphasis of the Word in this place for unquestionably there 's a great deal more intended in God's condemning sin than barely his sentencing or judging it to be a very evil thing though Christ had never come in flesh nor suffered in Flesh yet God would thus have condemned Sin its condemnation is here brought in as a singular effect of the Grace of God to Sinners but according to this stating of it it would only be an effect of his Holiness not at all of his Grace he may thus judge of Sin and yet the Sinner perish by it 'T is very true that God in the Death of his Son did in this respect signally condemn Sin O in that he made it to appear what thoughts he had of Sin what an evil thing he judg'd it to be how he was set against it c. but yet this is not the only thing no nor the main thing held forth in this expression of God's condemning Sin Well! for the right understanding of that I conceive we must borrow our light from Condemnation amongst Men for though sin be not a person yet its being condemned will best be known by what is proper to condemned persons Amongst us malefactors are seiz'd upon brought to tryal arraign'd prov'd guilty sentene'd to die if their Offence be capital then the Sentence is executed upon them to cut them off that they may do no more mischief and this is their being condemn'd just so so far as the nature of the thing would admit of virtually and analogically all this was done by God in Christ's Death against Sin It had been an heinous malefactor guilty of high and notorious crimes had done inexpressible mischiefs for all which God will arraign judge sentence cut it off that it also may do no more mischief to his people and this is its condemnation Divers Expositors in their opening of the Words conceive of Sin here as a Person and accordingly they open its being condemn'd by this allusive and analogical notion whatever is commonly done amongst Men in their judicial processes against great Offenders all that in effect was done by God through Christ's death against sin and so he condemn'd it More particularly in three things In the abolitiof its power But not to take up with Generals this may be more particularly open'd in three things 1. God by Christ condemn'd Sin as he abolished its power Sin 's condemnation is its * Secundum Phrasin Hebraicam positum est damnavit pro abolevit extinxit sustulit Deus Perer. abolition wherein doth that lie why partly in the taking away of its power in the divesting it of that Rule and Command which it had over Sinners for a long time thus God condemn'd or abolished sin he put an end to its reign and dominion pull'd it off from the throne turn'd it out of Office and authority yea adjudged it to die for all the Evils of which it had been guilty Thus 't is with condemned men upon the passing of the condemnatory Sentence upon them they are ipso facto dispossess'd of all their power and authority and further than this too they must suffer the penalty of death for what they have done so answerably it was with Sin in God's dealings with it It had acted the Tyrants part in and over the world a great while had domineer'd and lorded it over its poor Subjects at a strange rate did with men what it pleas'd O but in the Flesh of Christ God condemn'd it that is he broke it in its power brought it down to some purpose stripp'd it of that absolute illimited dominion which it had before Christ's cross was the ruine of sins throne And not only so but there 's a sentence of death too pass'd upon it it shall not only lose its power but its life also God will have it kill'd slain put to death in all who have an interest in Christ's Merits he would not suffer such a malefactor to live hee 'l rid the world of it This condemnatory sentence was pass'd upon it long ago which though it be but gradually and in part executed whilst the Saints are here below yet when they shall once ascend to God then it shall be fully executed insomuch that then sin shall quite be taken out of the way and shall not have so much as a being in them in the glorify'd state Thus many * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Damnavit peccatum i.e. dominio suo mulctavit ne regnaret in carne Staplet Ut ejus dominium robur auferret Tolet. Damnavit interfecit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est interficere sicut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro morte quia damnati interfici solent Interfecit vero i.e. interficiendi vires nobis praestitit Interficere est efficientiam adimere Grot. See Melanch Bucer P. Mart. De dieu Deodat Interpreters do open the condemning of sin and †Who renders it by exauctoravit extinxit abolevit c. De Servat part 2. cap. 23. Socinus likes this interpretation so well that he contends for it but fiercely opposes those which follow In the abolition of Sins guilt 2. Sins Condemnation lies in the abolition or expiation of its guilt It here properly notes the taking away of that which was the hurtful destructive mischievous part of Sin Condemned men can do no hurt let them be never so hurtful before yet when once the sentence of Condemnation is pass'd upon them they can be so no longer Sin had been a very huriful thing and would have been so still to precious Souls but God in the flesh of his Son as suffering and satisfying put a stop to it took it out of the way condemn'd it that is disabled it from doing the
nobis est umbraculum Sacrificio suo apud Deum nos reconciliavit Zarnov de Sat. Christi p. 38. accomplishment of them 2. That he is also a true and real Sacrifice for was there reality in the Type and shall there not be the same with advantage in the Anti-type or shall they be shadows of a shadow shall there be such a shell and no kernel such a bone and no marrow in it But to go on In the old Sacrifices there were these Six things Six things in the Old Sacrifices all of which are to be found in Christs Sacrifice 1. The Person who did institute ordain and appoint the use of them who was God himself whose institution of them though it be not express'd in the Scriptures yet it may very strongly be inferr'd from them 2. The Person unto whom they were offered and he also was God himself 3. The Persons offering viz. the Priests to whom by divine appointment this work was committed and it was a great part of their work and one great end of their Office For every high Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things partaining to God that he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for sins Heb. 5.1 4. The Matter of the Sacrifice or the thing offered which was very various according to what God was pleas'd to specifie and appoint Oxen Bulls Heifers Sheep Rams Goats c. 5. The Oblation it self when the Beast was slain it was to be offered up and then part of the blood thereof was to be carried into the Holy of Holy's there to be presented before the Lord and the main stress of the * See Dr. Stillingfl against Crellius ch 5. p. 451. expiation lay not upon the representation which followed after but upon the mactation and solemn oblation of the Sacrifice 6. The Altar upon which all was to be offer'd Now answerably and in correspondency to all these 1. God instituted appointed ordained Christ to be the Sacrifice it was his will and ordination that his Son should offer up himself a propitiatory or expiatory Sacrifice Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself c. 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world c. It was as much the appointment of God that Christ the true Sacrifice should die be slain offered up as that under the Law any of those Sacrifices should be so used and as from all eternity he decreed and appointed Christ to be the Sacrifice so in time he fitted and prepared him for his being so therefore saith Christ * Heb. 10.5 But a body hast thou prepared me without which he could not have been a Sacrifice 2. Christ offered up himself to God He had to do * Grot. de Sat. Christi c. 10. p. 121. with God as he stood in the quality and respect of a Sacrifice for this was a part of his Priestly Office which primarily refers to God as King and Prophet he hath to do with us but as Priest he had to do with God that he might propitiate and atone him So 't was with the Aaronical Priests they were ordained for men in things pertaining to God Heb. 5.1 and surely so it must be too with the great Priest whom they did typifie Heb. 2.17 that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God The Apostle speaks it expresly and hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour 3. Here was the Person offering and that was Christ himself he as Mediator as God-Man was the Priest to offer up himself They under the Law had variety of Sacrifices and variety of Priests we under the Gospel have but one Sacrifice and one Priest who first offered up himself and now continues in another way to offer up our duties and services to God 4. As Christ was the Priest offering so he was the Sacrifice offered for he was both which was unusual and extraordinary The Levitical Priests and the Sacrifices which they offered were distinct they were not bound to offer themselves but our Lord Jesus was * Ut quoniam quatuor considerantur in omni Sacrificio cui offeratur à quo offeratur quid offeratur pro quibus offeratur idem ipse unus verúsque Mediator per Sacrificium pacis reconcilians nos unum cum illo maneret cui offerebatur unum in se faceret pro quibus offerebatur unus ipse esset qui offerebat quod offerebat August de Trinit Utrum Christus simul fâ—erit Sacerdos Hostia Aquin. in 3. p. Qu. 22. Art 2. Priest and Sacrifice too in his Person he was the Offerer in his humane Nature he was the thing offered 'T was necessary that he should offer something For every high Priest is ordained to offer gifts and Sacrifices wherefore it is of necessity that this man have also somewhat to offer Heb. 8.3 what then did he offer such things as had been offered before the blood of bulls and goats no he offered his own blood Heb. 9.12 his own body Heb. 10. 4 5 6 7 10. through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all that very body which was so miraculously framed with which he liv'd here on earth which he carried up with him afterwards to heaven that very body I say he freely offered up upon the Cross as a Sacrifice to God His Soul comes in too but that 's himself Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin His whole self in his whole Humane Nature was the matter of this Sacrifice Eph. 5.2 and hath given himself for us an offering c. Heb. 1.3 when he had by himself purged our sins Heb. 9.14 who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God So Heb. 7.27 The Text saith for sin God condemned sin in the flesh by which flesh the Apostle understands the whole Manhood of Christ and that was the Sacrifice for sin by which Sin was condemned 5. There was Christ's formal and proper oblation performed upon the Cross by and upon which the sins of Believers were to be expiated That there was in Christ an oblation none deny but that this was done at his Death or here on earth and was expiatory in that sense which we put upon it both of these are vehemently deny'd by the SOCINIANS but I shall have occasion to vindicate both by and by 6. In Christ's Sacrifice there was an Altar too namely his Godhead The Altar sanctify'd the gift Matth. 23.19 so 't was here the Deity of Christ did not only sustain and strengthen his Humane Nature in his being a Sacrifice therein but it also gave merit and efficacy to his Sacrifice for how did that come to be so meritorious and effectual for the good of Sinners but from this
we should have undergone vouchsafed to dye that we might not dye bare himself in his Soul and body as our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the punishment due to us here was substitution far above what was in the Law-sacrifices But this * De Servat p. 2. c. 4. passim In Praelect c. 18. with him concur Crellius Smalcius c. and all of that party SOCINVS and his Followers cannot indure to hear of O they rally all their force unite all their strength set themselves with all their might to oppose and beat down this great Truth there are but few of the Evangelical Mysteries which these pernicious Gospel-destroyers do not assault some way or other but as to that which is now before us Christ's suffering dying satisfying in our stead the summ of Gospel-revelation the great Article of the Christian Faith the main prop and foundation of the believers Hope this they make their fiercest assaults upon whatever stands if they may have their will this shall not But alas poor men when they have done their worst it will stand firm upon its sure basis as an eternal unmoveable Truth 't is so established in the Word and so rooted in the hearts of Christians that in spite of the most subtile and fierce oppositions of all gain-sayers it shall abide for ever Well! however let us see what ground we have for our belief of it and surely upon enquiry it will appear we have enough and enough If the Gospel be not clear in this 't is clear in nothing and blessed be the Lord who in a point of such vast importance to Souls hath given the world a revelation of it so plain and full Substitution in the case of the old Sacrifices is not so evidently held forth in the Law but substitution with respect to Christ and his Sacrifice is more evidently held forth in the Gospel Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly Vers 8. But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 4.1 Forasmuh then as Christ hath suffered for us in the Flesh c. 1 Pet. 2.21 because Christ also suffered for us c. Joh. 10.15 I lay down my life for the sheep Joh. 11.50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation perish not Heb. 2.9 That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man 2 Cor. 5.14 15. if one died for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again In all these places the Preposition * Of this and the other Prepositions Grot. de Sat. c. 10. p. 3. c. 9. p. 115. Hoorneb p. 566 567 568. Calor p. 421. c. et p. 453. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used which though not alwayes yet most frequently notes substitution the doing or suffering of something by one in the stead and place of others see Rom. 9.3 2 Cor. 5.20 and so 't is all along here to be taken where it being used of Persons the nature of the matter spoken of the use of the word in parallel Texts as also in Greek Authors gives this sense the preference before any other But suppose this may be eluded the other Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proves the thing undeniably Matth. 20.28 Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave himself a ransom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all Christ did not barely deliver poor captive-Souls but he delivered them in the way of a ransom which ransom he paid down for them in their stead so as that what they themselves should have paid that he was pleas'd to pay for them This is and must be the sense and import of the word for every one knows that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Composition out of that I know it hath other senses see Heb. 12.2 1 Cor. 11.15 signifies but two things either * 1 Joh. 2.18 opposition and contrariety or substitution and †Rom. 12.17 Matth. 5.38 1 Pet. 3.9 Luk. 11.11 commutation so that the matter will come to this we must either carry it thus that Christ gave himself a ransom against Sinners than which nothing more absurd or else thus that he gave himself a ransom in the stead and place of Sinners than which nothing more true I might further prove it by 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Gol. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us If he had not so been in his own person woe to poor Sinners they must then have ly'ne under it themselves to all eternity What a full and convincing Chapter is that of Isa 53. for the proof of that which I am upon 't would take up a great deal of time to go * This is done by very many Anti-Socinian Writers Particularly see Grot. de Sat. p. 11. c. O that he had not afterwards spoil'd in his Commentaries upon Isa 53. what he had before in this excellent Treatise so nervously and orthe doxly asserted but there he is as weak as here he is strong Dr. Owen against B. p. 499. c. his vindication of the true sense of it against Grotius p. 521. c. over it and to draw out the strength and emphasis of the several expressions in it I must not engage so far But surely the tongue of man could not utter nor the head of man invent any Words or Phrases more plain and apposite for the setting forth of Christ's substitution than what you have there the truth is its edge is every way as sharp against the SOCINIAN who denyes this as 't is against the JEW who denies Christ's Messiah-ship Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows c. Vers 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Vers 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all or the Lord hath made the iniquities of us all to meet on him Vers 7. He was oppressed he was afflicted c. or as the words are rendred by some it was * So the word Nagas is taken 2 King 23.35 Zech. 9.8 Significat aigere ad solutionem debiti Forer opprimi ad solvendum adigi ab exactore Morus in loc exacted and he answered Vers 8. For the transgression of my people was he stricken Vers 11. for he shall bear their iniquities Vers 12. and he
Gospel as well as under the Law Page 13 'T is not only No Condemnation to Believers but positive Salvation Page 16 Of the dreadfulness of Condemnation Page 25 How it may be avoided Page 32 Persons exempted from it are to be thankful and chearful Page 37 c. What the Condemning of Sin is Page 460 There may be troubles in the Conscience after Sin and yet Sin may reign Page 212 The Contrariety of the two Walkings Page 95 The Corrupt Nature set forth by Flesh Vide Flesh The Covenant of Redemption touched upon Page 298 Of the New Creature Page 65 Of the crucifying the Flesh Page 66 D. The Law of Death opened Page 152 249 Sin and Death go together especially when 't is the Law of Sin Page 250 How the Regenerate are freed from the Law of Death Page 253 c. Comfort from hence to such against the Fear of Death Page 257 In temptations to Sin 't is good to consider that 't is Sin and Death Page 254 Comfort to Believers as to Death from their Vnion with Christ Page 81 Christ's Death a strong Dissuasive from walking after the Flesh Page 128 The main Ends of Christ's Death made good against the Socinians Page 518 c. Man had not died if he had not sinned Page 250 Of the Saints Dignity from their Vnion with Christ Page 96 Of the Dominion of Sin See the Law of Sin E. The converting Spirit works efficaciously and irresistibly Page 234 Of the spiritualness of a mans Ends. Page 111 Expiation of sin by Christ's Sacrifice Page 449 That finished on Earth not done in Heaven Page 505 The Nature of this Expiation Page 510 The Extent of it Page 511 Vide Sacrifice F. God the Father's Love to be admired in his sending of Christ Page 303 Saints are to think well of God the Father as well as of God the Son Page 305 Faith the Bond in the Mystical Vnion Page 49 Faith to be repeated in fresh applications to Christ Page 553 There are but few in Christ Page 118 Flesh is in the Best Page 91 All particular Sins comprehended in Flesh Page 97 Of being in the Flesh and walking after the Flesh ibid. Flesh taken for corrupt Nature Page 99 Why that is set forth by Flesh Page 100 Flesh considered more Generally Page 99 Particularly Page 101 The Philosophical notion of Flesh and Spirit Page 105 What it is to walk after the Flesh Vide Walking What the Flesh is by which the Law is made weak Page 263 Of Christ's being sent in Flesh that opened Page 375 He did not bring his Flesh from Heaven Page 376 Of the verity of his Flesh against the antient Hereticks Page 377 379 380 That proved ibid. How he was sent in the likeness of sinful Flesh Page 406 c. And but in the likeness of sinful Flesh Page 410 c. Of the excellency of Christ's Flesh Page 417 He as sent in Flesh is to be believed on Page 424 Of Freedom from the Law of Sin Vide the Law of Sin Freedom from its Guilt and from its Power Page 150 Of Christ's Fulfilling the Law Vide Law G. The eternal Generation of Christ the Son of God proved Page 324 c. The difference between that and common Generation Page 356 Its mysteriousness Page 354 Of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion Page 415 The Priviledges of Believers under the Gospel above those under the Law Page 450 Grace set forth by Spirit and the Reasons why 't is so Page 104 c. There should be in Saints a Growth in Spiritualness Page 137 Of the Spirits being a Guide Page 108 Whether Christ took our very Guilt upon him Affirmed Page 490 H. Heaven made credible upon Christ's Incarnation Page 447 Holiness press'd from Vnion with Christ Page 75 From being made free from the Law of Sin Page 225 From the Incarnation of Christ Page 437 The Holiness and sinlesness of Christ's Humane Nature Page 411 The necessity thereof Page 414 The difference of the Humane Nature as in Christ and as in us Page 386 Of the advancement of the Humane Nature by Christ's assuming it Page 451 Christ to be highly Honoured 'T is shewn wherein Page 363 Humiliation the way to Consolation Page 5 6 Saints to be humbled that they were so long under the Law of sin and that sin still hath such a power in them Page 217 c. As also that there should be that Flesh in them by which God 's own Law is made weak Page 271 Humility press'd from Christ's taking our Nature Page 437 Of the HypostaticalVnion Vide Vnion I. About the Idem and the Tantundem With respect to Christ's Sufferings Page 489 To his Active Obedience Page 608 c. Of the Imputation of Christ's Active Obedience Vide Obedience How the imputation thereof is to be stated Vide ibid. The Incarnation of Christ largely discoursed of Page 372 c. His Mission and his Incarnation two distinct things Page 376 The Latter not impossible not incredible Page 386 The Grounds laid down why Christ was Incarnate Page 387 c. Prophesies and Types of it ibid. Seven Propositions insisted upon for the explication of it Page 393 c. What benefit had they by Christ who lived before his Incarnation Page 397 Why he was Incarnate just at that time when he was incarnate Page 398 A firm Assent is to be given to the Verity of Christ's Incarnation as also a firm Adherence to him as incarnate Page 420 c. Many other Duties urged from this Incarnation Page 426 c. As also the Comfort of it to Believers is set forth in several Particulars Page 441 c. Whether if Man had not sinned Christ had been incarnate Neg. Page 406 Of Inclinations Good or Evil and their difference in the Godly and Others Page 110 The severity of God's Justice in Christ's being a Sacrifice Page 543 The Law unable to Justifie Page 266 Whether there be two distinct integral parts of Justification Page 602 In the Justifying of Sinners God proceeds upon the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness Page 610 As to Christ we are justified by Works as to our selves by Faith Page 610 L. Law of Sin what it is Page 151 What the Law of the Spirit is Page 159 All Vnregenerate persons under the Law of Sin Page 169 c. How Sin is a Law opened in the proper improper notion of a Law Page 172 c. Wherein Sin acts as a Law Page 177 How it may be known when it is the Law of sin That particularly opened Page 179 c. All the Regenerate are freed from the Law of Sin Page 154 203 c. They are freed from Sin only as 't is a Law Page 149 203 206 Their freedom from the Law of Sin proved from Scripture and Argument Page 207 c. How fâ—r men may go and yet not be freed from the Law of Sin Page 210 A serious Exhortation to all to get free from it
What this sending of Christ was not Page 289 What it was opened in Five things Page 290 How this was consistent with his equality with his Father explained Page 294 The Grounds of Christ's being sent Page 296 The Love of Father and Son to be adored upon this Page 302 c. All are to go when they are sent not before Page 307 None to rest in the external sending of Christ Page 309 Christ as sent to be believed on Page 310 Comforts from Christ's being sent Page 313 None free from Sin here Page 8 Sin a vile and base thing Page 190 The Tyranny of it Page 192 Its advantages against us Page 232 It hath not barely a Being but too great a power even in the Regenerate Page 203 The special and most prevailing Sin must be most resisted Page 222 Christ's Death the highest Demonstration of the Evil of Sin Page 541 What the Condemning of Sin is Page 460 Of the breaking of the Heart for and from Sin upon Christ's being a Sacrifice Page 546 SOCINIANS dealt with and these great Truths made good against them 1. That Christ did praeexist before he was born of the Virgin Page 284 2. That Christ was the Son of God not in respect of the things which they alledge Seven of which are instanc'd in and largely refuted but in respect of his eternal Generation Page 323 c. 3. That he who was antecedently the Son of God was in time made the Son of Man or was incarnate Page 393 c. 4. That Christ was a true and proper Expiatory Sacrifice and the true notion of his Expiation is made good gainst them Page 481 c. 5. That he made Satisfaction to the Justice of God Page 515 6. The principal Ends of Christ's Death are asserted and their Ends thereof proved not to be the principal Page 517 c. 7. That Christ is truly and Essentially God Page 349 Sons of God by Creation by Grace by Nature Page 321 Christ God's Son Page 319 Scripture attestations of it Page 319 c. Christ God's own Son Page 321 That opened Comparatively and Absolutely ibid. His bâ—ing the Natural Son of God Co-equal Co-essential Co-eternal with the Father begotten of him by eternal Generation is explained proved and largely vindicated against Opposers Page 323 c. He is not God's own Son partly in respect of eternal Generation and partly in respect of his miraculous Conception c. Page 345 c. Of the different communications of the Divine Essence from the Father to the Son and to the Spirit Page 348 Christ's Godhead inferr'd from his Sonship Page 349 How Christ's Sonship is to be studyed Page 354 c. All are to believe Christ to be the Son of God and to believe on him as such Page 358 How he is to be Honoured as the Son of God Page 363 What Comfort doth arise from Christ's Sonship Page 368 How the Spirit is the Spirit of Life Page 162 How 't is said to be in Christ Jesus Page 161 He is the Spirit of Life Formally Page 162 Effectively Page 163 c. What is meant by the Law of the Spirit Page 158 His making free from the Law of Sin opened Page 228 Of the Necessity Sufficiency Efficacy of the Spirits Power and Operation in that Page 230 c. The Spirit the sole Efficient therein Page 243 How he secures against the Law of Sin after Conversion Page 240 Deliverance from Sins power is to be expected from this Spirit and to be ascribed to him Page 244 c. Of the Spirits greatness and glory Page 241 He is greatly to be honoured Page 247 How the Spirit may be obtain'd Page 70 The Spirit taken Personally and Habitually Page 104 What it is to Walk after the Spirit Vide Walking Of Christ's Substituting himself in the Sinners stead Page 483 The true Nature and Ends of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Page 528 c. Christ sympathizes with his Members Page 80 T. The Tabernacle a Type of Christ's Body Page 389 Of the Distinction of the Persons in the Sacred Trinity Page â—87 Great relief under Troubles of Coâ—â—ence from Christ's Incarnation Page 513 U. How Sin reigns in the Understanding Page 181 How the Spirit works on the Understanding in order to freeing from the Law of Sin Page 236 Of the Union Of Three Persons in one Nature Of two Natures in one Person Of Persons where yet both Natures and Persons are distinct Page 44 Of the Hypostatical Union Page 399 Of the Sublimeness and Mysteriousness of it Page 400 Opened in Four things Page 401 c. The Mystical Union opened Page 42 c. That also is a great Mystery Page 43 Of the threefold Union 'twixt Christ and Believers Mystical Page 48 Legal Page 48 Moral Page 48 The Bonds of the former the Spirit and Faith Page 49 Several Scripture-Resemblances by which 't is set forth Page 52 c. Six Properties of it Page 54 c. How Persons may know whether they be under it Page 60 Of Natural and Spiritual Union with Christ ibid. Of External or Common and Internal or Special Union Page 61 Sinners exhorted to labour after this Union Page 68 How it may be attained Page 70 Without Union no Communion Page 69 Several Duties urged upon such who are united to Christ Page 72 c. Several Comforts directed to such Page 78 c. The Mystical Union made credible by Christ's Incarnation Page 444 W. Of Walking not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Page 88 Why the Apostle pitches upon this Evidence Page 90 Spiritual Walking not the Cause of the Priviledge but the Property of the Person to whom it belongs Page 93 The contrariety of the Two Walkings Page 95 Men must be in Christ before they can live the Spiritual Life Page 96 There alwayes was and alwayes will be different Walkers ibid. What it is to Walk after the Flesh opened Page 97 103 c. Walking in the Flesh taken in a good sense Page 98 Of the more gross and the more close Walking after the Flesh Page 120 Men dehorted from Fleshly Walking Page 121 c. The Dehortation enforced with diverse Motives Page 122 c. Directions in order to it page 129 c. What it is to Walk after the Spirit Page 104 106 Opened by the Spiritualness of the Principle Page 106 c. Guide Page 106 c. Affections Page 106 c. Propensions Page 106 c. Ends Page 106 c. All in Christ thus Walk Proved Page 112 This Walking Excellent Page 132 c. Pleasant Page 132 c. Saving Page 132 c. Spiritual Walkers are To be very thankful Page 136 To be yet more Spiritual Page 137 To take the Comfort of it Some Discouragements about it removed Page 139 The Will is the principal Seat of Sins Power Page 181 How the Spirit works upon the Will efficaciously yet without the infringing of its Liberty Page 238 Reader In the drawing up of this Index many things occasionally spoken unto have slipped me but thou wilt find them under those main Heads which I chiefly insist upon to each of which thou art here directed FINIS
time introduces light the putting on of the garment and the removal of the nakedness are but one and the same thing and done together Answ Many things are here mentioned which cannot so distinctly be spoken to in the answering of an Objection Answ What place remission of sin hath in Justification whether of being the form of it or but an integral part or only an effect and Consequent is a thing that Divines are not very well agreed about whether the whole of Justification doth lie in remission is a point wherein also they differ But I must not at present engage in these debates I will defer the discussing of them till I come to open the Doctrine Doctrine of Justification which the 30 Verse of this Chapter will lead me to I shall now only suggest what is proper for the answering of the Objection before us And 1. what if the Opinion argued against doth make remission of sin and imputed righteousness to be different parts of Justification they both as * See Burg. of Justif 2 part Serm. 27. integral parts concurring to the compleating and perfecting of it I say what if it so doth is it the worse for that is this a novel tenent or that which but few or none do own have not several with great solidity and judgment defended it as to any error in it or any absurdities that will follow upon it I must confess I do not as yet understand either the one or the other A difference of parts in Sanctification is commonly granted viz. mortification and vivification the abolition of the power of sin and the implantation of the divine Nature the putting off the old man and the putting on the new man Eph. 4.22 now why may not Justification have its parts as well as Sanctification If the Believers righteousness doth lie in the fulfilling of the Law and there be different parts in that Law its commanding and its punishing part then that righteousness which results from the fulfilling of it must admit of different parts too So that remission of sin is one part that being grounded upon the satisfying of one part of the Law and imputation of righteousness is another part that being grounded upon the satisfying of the other part of the Law The Scripture speaks of these not as one and the same but as distinct Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences there 's remission and was raised again for our justification or righteousness there 's the other part how the latter is attributed to Christ's resurrection is not my business now to enquire I only cite the words as holding forth a distinction betwixt remission and righteousness So Rom. 5.9 compar'd with Rom. 5.19 And Dan. 9.24 to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness here are the two parts of Justification set forth as different and distinct 'T is true the Apostle Rom. 4.6 7 8. speaking of the Sinners righteousness instances only in the forgiveness or non-imputation of sin but he doth not do it as if that was the all in that righteousness but 1. because that being one eminent part thereof he puts it for the whole 2. because that remission of sin and the imputation of a positive righteousness being never parted in naming the one he included the other not as if they were one and the same in their nature but because they are never separated in the â—ubject I cannot yet be convinc'd but that the removal of Sins guilt and the introducing of a positive righteousness are things of a different nature and carry distinct notions in them for besides what hath been already said though in God's dealing with fal'n Sinners they are never parted yet as they are considered in themselves they may be parted Amongst us sometimes sin is remitted when yet the offender is not justified as we see in the case of Joseph's Brethren Shimei Abiathar c. and 't is possible for a person to be justified though he hath no sin to be remitted as it would have been with Adam had he stood he was then capable of Justification but not of remission now this their separableness evinces a difference or distinction betwixt them To object therefore against the imputation of Christ's active Obedience as well as of his passive one being suppos'd to free us from guilt the other to make us righteous that this would infer two different parts of justification this is so far from being an Objection that 't is but a plain asserting of what is so indeed 2. Whereas 't is said that this doth also make different causes of Justification I say as before what if it doth Provided that by those ye understand only the different grounds or matter of Justification according to its different parts that is as Christ dy'd and shed his blood there 's the ground of the Sinners discharge from guilt that which is imputed to him in order to that effect then as he in all things actively conformed to the Law there 's the ground of the Sinners positive righteousness or that which is imputed to him in order to that effect Such a multiplication of Causes which are not so of a diverse nature but that they do unite and concur in some one as the general Cause as these do in Christ's righteousness or Obedience carries in it nothing repugnant to Scripture or Reason This righteousness of Christ is the one only material Cause of the Sinners righteousness but that dividing it-self into his active and passive righteousness accordingly the Causes of the Sinners righteousness are diversified 3. The allusions brought against the Truth in question seem to fasten some absurdity upon it For they tend to this that for any to say upon one act sin is remitted and upon another the person is made righteous 't is as if one should say that by one act the crookedness of a thing is removed and that by another 't is made streight and so as to light and darkness To which I reply I except against these similitudes as not suiting with the thing in hand they are proper for things of another nature not for that which we are upon for that being a Law-act is not to be judg'd of by things of a physical nature Suppose the effects mention'd are produc'd by one and the same act yet they are not so pertinently alledg'd because what we are speaking of falls under another consideration We are not concern'd about crookedness and streightness but about guilt and righteousness all allusions which suit not with these as things of a legal nature are insignificative Will they say that that which frees the Offender from guilt when he stands arraign'd before the Judge doth also make him a true and exact keeper of the Law that at the same time and by the same sentence wherein he is acquitted from the violation of the Law that he is also thereupon to be look'd upon as a person that hath really kept the Law such an
Instance as this would be pertinent but then we should determine it in the Negative And indeed I could humbly desire that in these Points we might be very sparing in argumentative Similitudes of this nature for 't is very well known how by them some endeavour to decry and undermine all imputation of Christ's righteousness To be made righteous by the righteousness of another 't is say they as if a man should see with anothers eyes or be learned with anothers learning or wise with anothers wisdom c. there 's similitude for similitude though upon a far more pestilent and mischievous design Therefore in Law-acts such as we all grant Justification to be let us keep to those allusions which are proper to such acts or else upon the disparity of Physical and Law-acts we shall run our selves and others upon great mistakes Obj. This seems to reflect upon God some error or mistake in his judging 7. Object as if be should esteem the Sinner to do that in Christ which he did not do and which he knows the Sinner did not do And 't is said that 't is not possible that we by any estimation can be the Subjects of those acts qualities accidents which belong to another Subject Answ Though the debtor himself doth not pay the debt Answ but the Surety in truth payes it yet without any mistake the Creditor may in a Law-sense look upon the debtor as having paid it inasmuch as his Surety paid it for him and what his Surety doth he doth they being in Law but one person the application of this as to God's judging with respect to Christ and Sinners is plain and obvious But I ask why should this be thought a mistake in God to look upon us as obeying in Christ when I hope 't is not made a mistake in him to look upon us as disobeying in Adam wherein is the truth of God more impeached in the one than in the other we did not personally eat of the forbidden fruit and yet I presume it will not be deny'd but that in Adams eating of it legally we did eat it too and that God doth most truly and righteously reckon us guilty of it as though we had done the fact in our own persons Grant then that there is no mistake there and it will follow that there is none here Nay further why may we not as well be said to obey in Christ as to suffer in Christ his Sufferings were as remote and aliene from our persons as his active obeying and yet 't is granted that they are so reckoned to us as that in them even we may be said to suffer and satisfie and if the passive Obedience of Christ be thus imputed without any mistake why may not the active without any mistake be imputed also clear God in the one and you must likewise clear him in the other And whereas 't is said that those acts qualities or accidents which belong to one Subject cannot be made over to another this strikes at all imputation though I suppose 't is not so designed for that which is imputed must be out of that Subject unto which 't is imputed otherwise 't is inhaesion and not imputation Adams disobedience was his own personal and subjective act and yet 't is ours imputatively and legally But of this I 'le say no more Obj. If Christ actively obeyed and fulfilled the Law 8. Object as in our stead so that his Obedience be imputed to us hence it will follow that we are not at all * Mr. Bradsh of Justif p. 85. obliged our selves to obey or keep the Law Christ having done that in his person for us For as he bearing the curse and penalty of the Law in our stead we are thereupon freed from that curse so if he did obey the Laws commands in our stead we must also thereupon be freed from any obligation to obedience on our part thereunto Answ All that follows from hence is this Answ that Christ obeying the Law for us and in our stead we are not bound to obey it * Vid. Luciam in Advers p. 1. Sect. 5. for those ends and upon those accounts upon which he obey'd it as namely for satisfaction and for righteousness before God but as to other ends and upon other accounts we are yet and must be so under an obligation to obey it For being Creatures we are indispensably bound to keep that Law which our Creator and Lord is pleas'd to lay upon us so as that nothing can absolve us from that obligation And besides not only love and gratitude to God do call for this Obedience from us but it is the way wherein we can only hope for benefit by Christ's satisfactory and meritorious Obedience We must not carry our Saviours fulfilling the Law for us beyond what he intended now it appears by the whole tenure of the Gospel that he never intended it to exempt believers from Obedience as it speaks duty but only as 't was the Condition of the first Covenant I therefore think that it may as well be argued that Saints should not die or bear any punishment for sin because Christ dy'd for them and bore the penalty of the Law for them as that they should not obey actively because Christ obey'd the Law for them 'T is true upon the imputation of his passive obedience they are freed from Suffering in order to Satisfaction yet in other respects suffer they shall and so upon the imputation of his active Obedience they are freed from obeying so as that their righteousness before God should not lie in that yet upon other accounts obey they must notwithstanding all that Christ hath done In short we may as well argue against others that upon their principles God's people are not lyable to any punishment as they do against us that upon our principles God's people are not under any obligation to obey the Law and that explication or distinction which will clear and justifie their Opinion in the consistency of the Saints Sufferings with Christ's passive Obedience will do the same for ours in the consistency of the Saints Obedience with Christ's active Obedience Obj. 'T is objected 9. Object that the imputation of Christ's Obedience as thus stated makes Believers to be no Sinners yea as righteous as Christ himself was they in him fulfilling the Law where 's their sin and his righteousness being made over to them are they not as righteous as he was Answ This is one of the beaten Answ thred-bare Arguments with which the ROMANISTS impugne in general the imputation of Christ's righteousness Our PROTESTANT Writers thus answer them though Christ's righteousness be imputed to Believers yet for all that they are Sinners and may justly be so denominated inasmuch as the denomination is taken from what is inherent in them notwithstanding what is imputed to them Saints may be considered either as they are in themselves and so who can deny them