redeem all the Jews which were bond-men it 's set down what he paid for a slave There is set down a great summ of money and the number of the slaves Here stands the valuation divide the number of Drachms by the number of slaves and you shall find the quotient for every man 120 drachms four Drachms make a shekel thirty shekels was the ordinary rate cryed in the Market for the price of a bond-man Thus Christ took on him the form of a bond-man not only God's bond-man but in the estimation of men so despicable that they valued him at no higher rate than thirty pieces of silver This is but the beginning and entrance on Christ's humiliation to be made in the similitude of sinful flesh and in the verity of true flesh Christ had all infirmities as weariness hunger thirst which follow a sinful man which were not sinful such a nature he took upon him and then he became obedient both by active and passive obedience That which remains of the pains of his life to the passage of his doleful death we will speak of the next time PHIL. 2.8 And being found in fashion as a man be humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. IN these words and those that went before you see there is delivered unto us the point of the humiliation of the Son of God It stands in this 1. That he took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man God the Son the second person in the blessed Trinity did assume our dust and ashes unto the Unity of his own sacred person 2. This humane nature being thus assumed he was content to deprive himself a long time of that estate of glory which he might have in our humane nature alwayes after it's assumption enjoyed and in that time was as obedient as the meanest and poorest servant of his Father Nor was he only actively but passively obedient He was obedient unto the death He was content to lay down his life for our Redemption And it was not every death that would serve the turn but it must be the death of the Cross the most accursed shameful and painful death that death which was most suitable and best able to answer the wrath of God First He humbled himself by taking our nature upon him He that thought it no robbery to be equal with God took upon him the form of a man If it were an abasement for God to look upon heaven the most glorious of his works how much more to take upon him a clod or piece of this earth and unite it to his own sacred person for ever This was a descending indeed he descended first that he might ascend Eph. 4.9 Now that he ascended what is it but thaâ— he descended first into the lower parts of the earth That is he descended into the womb of the Virgin and it was a great abasement indeed for him thus to descend Wherefore the Psalmist speaking of the wonderful framing of the Babe in the womb saith Psalm 139.15 My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth So that we see God descended into the lowermost parts of the earth and there was he fashioned A great humiliation it was for him to be thus inclosed Thus did he humble himself in taking our nature Had he taken the form of a King upon him it had been a great humiliation how much more when he took on him the form of a servant He came not in state to be ministered unto but to minister Mat. 20.28 As we shewed the last day Nor was he only his Fathers servant but a servant of servants and therein underwent Canaans curse A servant of servants shalt thou be Gen 9.25 Our Saviour became such a servant He which was the Author of freedom John 8.26 If the Son make you free then are you free indâ—ed He I say who was the Kings son and so the most free the Author of it to all that enjoy any spiritual freedom became a servant that we whiâ—h were servants might be made free But besides this it s added here that he humbled himself Having taken on him the form of a servant he humbled himself Where we may observe what made the suffering of our Saviour so meritorious It was because it was active free and voluntary Our Passions are contrary to our Will We are drawn to it as it is said of Peter When thou art old they shall lead thee whither thou wouldst not Joh. 21.18 Peter dyed the same death our Saviour did according to the external passion but they led him whither he would not Our Saviour was an Actor in it Humbled himself A bare suffering God regards not so much but when it is done willingly and in obedience to God And as he was obedient in his death so also in his other passions In the Gospel according to St. John Joh. 11.33 whereas the Text reads he was troubled the marginal note hath it according to the original Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he troubled himself he was the Author of his own sufferings Joh. 10.17 He was not humbled as a mere patient but he humbled himself and so it is said in Scripture oft He gave himself for us and in all his passive obedience he had an eye to do the Will of God The merit of his passive obedience ariseth from a mixture with his active This was a great part of his Priesthood his humbling And how doth he take his Priest-hood upon him it was by his Father's call He was called unto it as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 No man saith the Apostle taketh this honour upon him but he that is called Now Christ being called to it he did it to follow his call And thus he did it actively it was not a bare suffering as those in hell suffer but according to his Father's call Observe Heb. 10.9 That place taken out of the Psalm I am come to do thy Will O God c. What was it only in its active obedience No it was thy Will that he should suffer as the words following in the tenth verse import By the which Will we are sanctified and by the body of Jesus Christ once offered So that Christ offered up himself to do his Father's Will so that his passive obedience was in his active So Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it up again no man taketh it from me but I lay it down Our Saviour when he laid down his life put it off as a man that puts off his cloak and lays it from him They wondred that he was dead so soon it ' was because himself laid down his life His soul then was not drag'd or forced out of his body It was not only passive but active obedience No man taketh it from me I have power
Wine wherein there is a Commemoration of the Body broken and the Blood shed not as they are Concomitants the Wine in the Bread as the foolish Papists dream for that were rather a commemoration of his life than of his death when the blood runs in the veins The commemoration of Christ's death is made by separation of the blood from the body and as there is one act of the Minister in consecrating by breaking the body and pouring out the blood so there is a second Act which is ministerial When the Minster saith Take eat This is my body as if Christ were present and said Come Take my body thou hast as free an interest to it as when thou art invited to thy friends table thou hast right to the meat before thee So that as Christ was once offered for thee so he is in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper offered to thee And what now should hinder thee unless thou art one that will obstinately oppose thy own salvation and say I will not have this man to rule over me thou canst not miscarry But if thou wilt be thine own Lord perish in thine infidelity Here be the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven given unto God's Ministers unless thou wilfully oppose thine own salvation and shut that door of salvation which Christ hath opened so wide for thee See the ways of God are plain Christ hath paid a great price for thee and then as great as it is he offers it to thee Now for the former of these which is Christ's satisfaction made unto the Father for us I made choice of this place of Scripture which sets it out particularly Herein two things are to be observed 1. The person who it is that will thus humble himself The Apostle grounds his Exhortation on the fourth verse where he tells us We ought not to look every man on his own things but every man on the things of others Let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus If Christ had looked only on his own things he might have saved himself a great deal of labour and pains He being the Son of God might as soon as he was born have challenged a seat with God in Glory He need not have gone per viam He might be Comprehensor in meta But he would pass on to his journey's end in a thorny and troublesome way Let then the same mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus who minded not his own things but the good of others 2. What it was wherein he humbled himself He took upon him the form of a servant and was obedient unto the death of the Cross. The highest humiliation that can be that he who is above all praise whom Angels adored that he should be brought from heaven to earth and not only be a Pilgrim there but have a sorrowful and pittiful Pilgrimage and at last to be cut off by a shameful death from the land of the living This Humiliation hath no parallel The depth of the humiliation consists in the height of the person thus humbled and were not he so high it could have done us no good It 's no small satisfaction that can appease God's wrath therefore the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews speaking of Melchisedeck the type of Christ concludes how great this man was Heb. 7.4 Consider the invaluable price that was paid for thee and how great he was who paid it who being in the form of God he who was fellow and fellow-like with God as good as himself as great as himself was thus humbled It was the Second Person in the sacred Trinity he and no other that was thus humbled for thee He was weary for thee and reviled for thee sweated and fainted for thee hungred for thee and was buffeted for thee It was he the Second Person of the blessed Trinity in proper speech without either Trope or Figure shed his blood for thee died for thee and suffered all these things in his assumed nature taking on him the form of a servant though not in his divine He remaining God alone could not die but die fain he would for thee therefore he took thy nature on him that he might die for thee in that assumed nature He took not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 He being the Fountain of life and the Prince of our life and without shedding of blood no Redemption can be wrought having not blood to shed as God therefore took our nature on him as it is Heb. 10.5 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body thou hast prepared me then said I lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me to do thy will O God As if he should have said Lord I am not able to accomplish thy Will or to be subject to thee in thy nature therefore thou hast made me a man that in the form of a servant I might shew obedience which I could not while I was in nature equal unto thee Now consider how great this person is that hath suffered all for thee Rev. 1.5 Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness the first begotten of the Dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth To have a great Prince bound like a thief arraigned and executed the consideration of this state of the person would move a stony heart Rev. 17.14 He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Amongst men the Father is more honourable than the Son and the Son is but a servant until he be emancipated but it is not so in the Divinity but the Father and the Son are both alike honourable Among men the Son hath the same specifical nature with the Father but not the same individual but it is not so in the Divinity the Father and the Son have the self same individual nature Joh. 10.30 I and my Father are one therefore there must be an equality The Pharisees themselves could draw this conclusion that if he were the Son of God he was equal with God Joh. 5.18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him because he said God was his Father making himself equal with God A man would think how could that follow He was but God's Son but God's Son must be equal with the Father In making himself God's Son he made himself equal with God and therefore know upon this and by this stands the point of our Redemption If a pure and holy Angel had suffered never so much it would not have availed for our Redemption It is a Price no man nor Angel must meddle withal it will require a greater Price It was God himself that suffered in his assumed nature He and no other person for we must understand though Christ took on him the nature of a man yet not the person of a man here stands the point the Second Person in the Trinity is the Suppositum of all this humiliation and therefore observe when the point
spices gathered to the Embalming of this Rare Phoenix out of his own ashes holding my self engaged as much as any to cast my mite into the treasury of his blessed memory as having had my Bene esse most from him First By him I was examined and admitted into the Vniversity near Dublin in Ireland his native City and Countrey above forty years ago Secondly Whilst I continued there which was the space of eight years he took special care of me and account of my studies there Thirdly By him I was ordained or to use the Apostle's word put into the Ministry and the same day admitted his Chaplain in Ordinary now two and thirty years ago though then able to do him little service being called to a Congregation in another nation which call his Grace did then approve of Having given this account to the Reader I shall only mention three things Concerning him and forbear many more that might be added First To the testimonies concerning him from Spanhemius Ger. Vossius Buchartus Simplitius Lud de dieu Paulus Testardus Blessensis Arnoldus Bootius Mr. Selden Dr. Prideaux Bp. Davenant Bertius Mr. Cambden Sir Rog. Twisden and the whole University of Oxford beside the forced testimony of his adversaries Moranez Beaumont Alias Rookwood Challoner Henry Fitz. Simonds for all which I refer to the book aforesaid Give me leave to add the testimony of Dr. William Chappel sometimes fellow of Christ's College in Cambridge and afterwards Provost of Trinity College near Dublin which from such an acute man as he was may amount to the like equivalent testimony from the University of Cambridge He gave me once three reasons why he thought Doctor Usher then Bishop of Meath was in his esteem the greatest Scholar in the Christian world 1. One was because of his rare natural parts the foundation of his other Learning having a quick Apprehension a prompt Wit a strong Memory a clear Understanding a piercing Judgment and a ready utterance Seldom said he shall you meet all these in an Eminent degree in the same person but in him they so concurred that it is hard to say in which he most excelled 2. Another was because few men though they had such parts were either able or willing to make so rich improvement of them by choice Libraries unwearied studying in them and searching out the Rarities of any other few men's bodies and brains he believed would bear it 3. The third was because he was so esteemed both in these Universities and in those beyond the Seas and indeed whosoever conversed with him found him if they pleased to try it a skilful Linguist a Subtil Disputant a fluent Orator a profound Divine a mighty Antiquary an exact Chronologer and indeed a living and walking Library The greatest professors have admired the Concatenation of so much and such variety of Learning in one person 1. Do but think he that Learned to read of two of his Aunts that were both blind Was converted from a state of Nature into grace at ten years old Was admitted the first Scholar into the College at Dublin and that upon design by reason of his pregnancy and forwardness at thirteen years of age Made an exact Chronology of good part of the Bible and of some other Authors he had read at fifteen years old Encountred a Jesuite at 19 years old and afterwards was called by him of such as are not Catholicks the most Learned Was Master of Arts answered the Philosophy Act and chosen Catechist of the Colledge when he went through a great part of the body of Divinity in the Chappel by way of common place at nineteen years old Commenced Batchelour of Divinity at twenty seven years old and immediately after was chosen Professor of Divinity in that Vniversity Do but think I say how mighty he was when beside his promptness in School Divinity he had read over all the Fathers and trusted his own eyes in the search of them by that he was thirty eight years of age and was Master of all other Learning also Secondly If any yet be found that would detract from so accomplished a person and indeed pillar of our Church in his Generation by reason of the distance at which they stand from Prelacy or by reason of their Engagement in the late civil and unhappy differences between The late King and Parliament claiming to themselves Liberty wherein soever they differ from others both in matters of Church and State but allowing to others as little concerning either to such as these if they be such as deserve satisfaction give me leave to say A Divine and Apostolical Bishop he was and next to the Apostles Evangelists and Prophets as great a Pastor and Teacher and trusted with as much of Gods mind as I believe any one since hath been An Ecclesiastical Bishop he was also and the most able Moderator in Church assemblies To him pertained the double honour for ruling well and for Labouring in word and Doctrine Famous were two of his Predecessors in that See of Armagh in their Generations the one for his Sanctity the other for his Learning but both these Eminently met in him John the Divine commendeth the Angel or Bishop of Ephesus c. And Ireland will do no less for this Angel or Bishop of Armagh But for Popish Bishops none was further off then he Witness his Learned Writings against the Romish Synagogue his Judgment within the bounds of a moderated Episcopacy and when the Reader hath perused that frame of Church Government drawn up under his own hand and now published he will see what a good Bishop Doctor Usher was The last thing which I shall propose to the Reader is The Crown God set upon the head of this Humble Saint both in the Conversion and Edification of very many Indeed his bow seldom turned back nor his sword returned empty God was mighty in him which way soever he bent himself either in Conviction Conversion or Consolation wherein he had the Tongue of the Learned given unto him Witness the many Souls who were and are his Epistle known and read of all Men Witness again the success God gave to divers of his Encounters with Adversaries to the true Religion Some instances whereof the Learned Doctor that writes his Life hath given to which many more might be added Witness also such as were his frequent hearers how mightily the hand of God was with him so that a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. If they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as stars for ever and ever then this famous Evangelist is a star of the greatest Magnitude and will be able in the strength of Christ to say after him Behold I and the Children which God hath given me And though the work of the Ministery is ours the success Gods yet who so expecteth blessing from God upon his Labours I cannot commend to such a pattern more
2. But there are another sort as greatly befool'd as these yea more if more may be and those are they who put it off till the Hour of their Death till the last gasp as if they desired to give God as little of their service as possibly they might who think if they can but cry Peccavi and Lord have mercy on me when their breath departs their bodies they shew a good Disposition and perform such Acceptable service as that God cannot chuse but grant them a pardon But think not all will be surely well because thou hastest to shake hanâ—s with God at thy Journeys end when thou hast not walked with him aâ—l the way Obj. But did not the Thief repent at the last on the Cross and why not I on my Death bed Sol. This is no good Warrant for thy delay for Christ might work This miraculously for the Glory of his Passion Dost thou think when in thy Health and Strength thou hast for several Years despised the Riches of Gods goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering that leads thee to Repentance that assoon as thou art cast on thy Death-bed and ready to breath out thy Soul the Rocks shall be Rent again and the Graves opened to quicken thy Repentance and beget in thee a Saving Faith Trust not therefore on this nor content thy self with good Intentions but set about the business in good earnest and presently Our Death-beds will bring so many disadvantages as will make that time very Vnseasonable Whether we respect 1. External hinderances such as are pangs and pains in thy body which must be undergone and thou shalt find it will be as much as thou well canst do to support thy self under them Every noise will then offend thee yea thou will not be able to endure the speech of thy best friends When Moses came to the Children of Israel and told them God had sent him to deliver them what acceptation found this comfortable message The Text saith Exod. 9.6 They hearkned not through anguish of their spirits See here the effects of Anguish and Grief Moses spake comfortably but by reason of their pains they hearkned not unto him they were indisposed to give attendance So shall it be with us on our death-beds through the Anguish of our Spirits we shall be unfit to meddle with ought else especially when the the Pains of Death are upon us the Dread whereof is terrible How will it make us tremble when death shall come with that Errand to divide our Souls from our Bodies and put them into possession of Hell unless we repent the sooner Now thou art in thy best strength consider what a Terror it will be what a sad Message it will bring when it comes not to cut off an Arm or Leg but Soul from Body Now then make thy Peace with God but that these men are Fools they would through fear of death be all their life-time in bondage It 's the Apostles expression Heb. 2.15 The consideration hereof should never let us be at rest till we had made our Peace with God it should make us break our Recreations and Sports The considerations of what will become of us should put us in an Extasie Nor are these all our Troubles for besides these outward Troubles will then even overwhelm us when a man is to dispose of his Wife and Children House and Lands he must needs be very unfit at this time for the Work of Repentance These things will cast so great a damp on his heart as that he shall be even cold in his seeking after Peace with God 2. But suppose these outward hinderances are removed that neither Pain of Body nor Fear of Death seize on thee neither Care of Wife nor Children Houses nor Lands distract thee but that thou mightst then set about it withal thy might though thou wert in the most penitent condition that might be to mans seeming yet where 's the Change or new nature should follow thy Contrition unless we see this in Truth we can have but little Comfort Shall I see a sinner run on in his ill courses till the day of Death and then set on this work I could not conclude therefore the safety of his soul because it 's the Change of the Affections not of the Actions that God looks after for the Fear of Death may Extort this Repentance where the Nature is not Changed Take an example of a Covetous Man which dotes on his Wealth more then any thing else in the World suppose him in a ship with all his riâ—hes about him a tempest comes and puts him in danger of losing all both Life and Goods in this strait he sticks not to cast out all his Wealth so he may preserve his Life and shall we therefore say he is not covetous No we will account him nevertheless Covetous for all this nor that he loved his Goods the less but his Life the more It 's so in this case when an impenitent person is brought upon his Death-bed he 's apt to cry out in the Bitterness of his Soul If God will but grant me Life and spare me now I le never be a Drunkard Swearer or Covetous Person more Whence comes this Not from any change of his Nature and loathing of what he formerly loved but because he cannot keep these and Life together Fear alters his disposition the Terrors of the Almighty lying upon him I have my self seen many at such a time as this that have been so exceeding full of Sorrow and penitent Expressions that the standers by have even wished their Souls to have been in the other Souls cases and yet when God hath restored them they have fallen into their former Courses again And why is this But because when Repentance comes this way it alters only the outward actions for the Present not the sinful dispositions things that are extracted from a man alter the outward appearance not the Nature Therefore saith the Lord I le go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face In their affliction they will seek me early Hos. 5. last Mark when Gods hand is on them they will seek him And as in the 6. Chap. 1. v. say one to another Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up How penitent were they when Gods hand was on them but let it once be removed and hear how God presently complains of them O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I'do unto thee For your goodness is as a Morning Cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Mark thy goodness is as a Morning Cloud such a Goodness as is Extorted that is as Temporary as Earthly Dew Another considerable place we have in the Psal. 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God Was not this a great
this Congregation but is or was as bad as the holy Ghost here makes him But 2. To come to that which is delivered of him he is one not quickned dead in sins no better then nature made him that corrupt nature which he hath from Adam till he is thus spiritually enlivened Now he 's described 1. By the quality of his person 2. By his company Even as others Thou mayst think thy self better then another man but thou art no better never a barrel the better herring as we say Even as others thou art not so alone but as bad as the worst not a man more evil in his nature then thou art When thou goest to Hell perhaps some difference there may be in your several punishments according to your several acts of Rebellion but yet you shall all come short of the Glory of God And for matter of quickning you are all alike 1. First concerning their quality And this is declared 1. By their general disposiâ—ion they are dead in trespasses and sins Dead and therefore unable and indisposed to the works of a spiritual living man Besides not onely indisposed and unable thereto but dead in trespasses and sins For the separation of the Soul from God is a more dangerous death than the separation of the Soul from the Body and this is the reason why St. John calls damnation the second death Rev. 20.14 reckoning in comparison the naturall death for none Accordingly also speaketh the learned Patriarch of Alexandria St. Cyril Tom. 6. p. 415. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is not properly death which separateth Soul from the body but that which separateth God from the Soul God is the life of the Soul but he that is separated from life is dead being deprived of alacrity and cheerfulness as of life He lies rotting in his own filth like a rotten carkass and stinking carrion in the nostrils of the Almighty so loathsome is he all which is drawn from Original sin Not onely dis-enabled to any good but prone to all sin and iniquity 2. By his particular conversation And that appears in the verse following Where in times past ye walked How Not according to the word and will of God not according to his rule but they walked after three other wicked rules A dead man then hath his walk you see a strange thing in the dead but who directs him in his course These three the World the Flesh and the Devil the worst guides that may be yet if we look to the conversation of a natural man we see these are his Pilots which are here set down 1. The World Wherein times past ye walked after the course of the World He swims along with the stream of the World Nor will he be singular not such a precise one as some few are but do as the World doth run amain whither that carries him See the state of a natural man He 's apt to be brought into the slavery of the World This is his first guide Then follows 2. The Second which is the Devil The Devil leads him as well as the World According to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience In stead of having the Spirit of God to be led by he 's posted by the Spirit of Satan and the lusts of his Father the Devil he will do He hath not an heart to resist the vilest lusts the Devil shall perswade him to When Satan once fills his heart he hath no heart to any thing else then to follow him 3. There remains the Flesh his guide too and that 's not left out v. 3. Amongst whom we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind So that you see the three guides of a natural man and he is as bad as these three can make him and till the stronger man comes and pulls him out in this condition he remains and in this natural estate he is a son of disobedience We see then the state of disobedience described to be wretchedness 3. This further appears by that which must follow which is cursedness Rebellion and wretchedness going before cursedness will follow For God will not be abused nor suffer a Rebel to go unpunished Therefore saith the Apostle We are by nature the Children of wrath Being the natural sons of disobedience we may well conclude we are the Children of wrath If we can well learn these two things of our selves how deep we are in sin and how the wrath of God is due to us for our sins then we may see what we are by Nature Thus much concerning the quality of a natural man Next follows 2. His company Even as others By nature we are the Children of wrath even as others That is to say we go in that broad wide way that leads to damnation that way we all naturally rush into though we may think it otherwise and think our selves better yet we are deceived For it is with us even as with others Naturally we are in the same state that the worst men in the World are so that we see the glass of a natural man or of a man that hath made some beginnings till Christ come and quicken him Q. See we then who it is spoken of to be dead men that are rotten and stinking as bad as the World the Flesh and the Devil can make them Who should these be A. I answer it 's you you hath he quickned And ye wherein ye walked c. But who are they The Ephesians perhaps that were in times past Heathens I hope it belongs not to us They were Gentiles and Pagans that knew not Christ v. 12. Aliens to the Commonweal of Israel strangers to the covenant of promise having no hope without God in the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Text renders it Atheists and therefore they might well be so But I hope it 's not thus with me I was never a Pagan or Heathen I was born of Christian Parents and am of the Church But put away these conceits Look on the 3d. v. Amongst whom we also had our conversation and wherein ye your selves c. It 's not onely spoken of you Gentiles but verified of us also As if he had said here as Gal. 2. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles He paints out not onely you the Gentiles in such ugly colours but we Jews also we of the Common-wealth of Israel We before we were quickned were in the same state that you are described to be in Obj. Oh but the Apostle may do this out of fellowship and to avoid envy as it were making himself a party with them as Ezra did cap. 9. that included himself in the number of the offenders though he had no hand in the offence O our God saith he what shall we say Our evil deeds
settest thy self against God and dost many things which others that have not received the same grace would not have done know then that thou receivest this grace in vain and thy case is lamentable 4. Consider God's great goodness which ought to restrain thee from sin upon a double account 1. First his goodness in himself should keep thee from offending him There 's nothing but goodness infinite goodness in him and canst thou find in thy heart to sin against so good a God To offend and wrong a good disposition'd person one of a sweet nature and affection it aggravates the fault 't is pity to wrong or hurt such a one as injures no body Now such a one is God a good God infinite in goodness rich in mercy very goodness it self and therefore it must needs aggravate the foulness of sin to sin against him But now he is not only thus in himself but 2. Secondly He 's good to thee Rom. 2. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance c. What hast thou that thou hast not received from his bountiful hand Consider of this and let this be a means to draw thee off from thy sinfulness When David had greatly sinned against God and when God brings his murther home to him he pleads thus with him When thou wert nothing in thine own eyes I brought thee saith God to the Kingdom I took thee from the sheep-fold and exalted thee and brought the to a plentiful house Vid. 2 Sam. 12.7 8. And may not God say the like to us and do you thus requite the Lord O you foolish people and unwise Deut. 32.6 that the more his mercy and goodness is to you the higher your sins should be against him 5. Besides consider more than all this we have the examples of good men before our eyes God commands us not what we cannot do If God had not set some before our eyes that walk in his ways and do his will then we might say that these are precepts that none can perform But we have patterns of whom we may say such a man I never knew to lye such a one never to swear and this should be a means to preserve us from sinning Heb. 11.7 Noah was a good man and being moved with fear set not at nought the threatning of God but built the Ark and thereby condemned the world His example condemned the world in that they followed it not although it were so good but continued in their great sins So art thou a wicked deboist person there is no good man but shall condemn thee by his example It 's a great crime in the land of uprightness to do wickedly Isa. 26.10 to be profane when the righteous by their blameless lives may teach thee otherwise 6. And lastly add to all the consideration of the multitude and weight of thy sins Hadst thou but sinned once or twice or in this or that it were somewhat tolerable But thy sins are great and many They are heavy and thou continually encreasest their weight and addest to their number Jer. 5.6 A lyon out of the forrest shall slay them and a wolf of the evening shall spoil them a leopard shall watch over their Cities and every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces Why Because their transgressions are many and their back-slidings are encreased If thou hadst committed but two or three or four sins thou mightest have hope of pardon but when thou shalt never have done with thy God but wilt be still encreasing still multiplying thy sins then mayst thou expect to hear from Gods mouth that dreadful expostulation in the Prophet Jer. 5.7 How can I pardon thee Thus David sets out his own sins in their weight and number Psal. 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me The continual multiplying of them adds to their heap both in number and weight Thus I have shew'd you what the Law does in respect of sin the benefit of being under the Law that it makes sin appear in its own colours and sets it forth to be as indeed it is exceeding sinful But the Law does not yet leave sin nor let it scape thus But as the Law discovers our sinfulness and accursedness by sin its wretchedness and mans misery by it till his blessedness comes from the hand of his Jesus so it lays down the miserable estate which befals him for it If he will not spare God with his sins God will not spare him with his plagues Let us consider of this accursedness sin brings on us God will not let us go so but as long as we are under the Law we are under the Curse and till we are in Christ we can expect nothing but that which should come from the hand of a provoked God Assure thy self thou that pleasest thy self in thy abomonations that God will not take this at thine hands that by so base a creature as thou art so vile a thing as sin is should be committed against him But of the woful effects of sin which is Gods wrath we will speak the next time LAM 5.16 Woe unto us that we have sinned I Declared unto you heretofore what we are to consider in the state of a natural man a man that is not new fashioned new moulded a man that is not cut off from his own stock a man that is not ingrafted into Christ he is the son of sin he is the son of death First I shewed you his sinfulness and now Secondly I shall shew you his accursedness that which follows necessarily upon sin unrepented of I declared before what the nature of sin is And now I come to shew what the dreadful effects of sin are I mean the enevitable consequence that follows upon sin and that is woe and misery Woe unto us that we have sinned A woe is a short word but there lieth much in it Doct. Woe and anguish must follow him that continueth sinning against God And when we hear this from the Ministers of God it is as if we heard that Angel Rev. 8.13 flying through the midst of Heaven denouncing Woe woe woe to the Inhabitants of the earth The Ministers of God are his Angels and the same that I now deliver to you if an Angel should now come from Heaven he would deliver no other thing Therefore consider that it is a voice from Heaven that this woe woe woe shall rest upon the heads upon the bodies and souls of all them that will not yield unto God that will not stoop to him that will be their own masters and stand it out against him woe woe woe unto them all Woe unto us It 's the voice of the Church in general not of one man but but woe unto us that we have sinned That I may now declare unto you what these woes are note by the way that I speak not to any particular man but to every man in general It is not
of suffering comes there is a remarkable speech Zach. 13.7 The Father seemeth to say concerning the Son that it was against his heart to smite him The expression was a lively one it went to his heart to smite one that was his equal that did him no wrong Awake O sword against my Shepherd and against the man that is my fellow You know of whom it is spoken by Matthew Mat. 26.31 I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered The Lord is ready to break him Isa. 53. The Sword was as it were unwilling to smite The man that is my fellow A blow lighting on God's fellow equal with God of what value is it Consider the difference betwixt a man and a man The State of a Prince makes great odds between that is done to him and that is done to another man When David would adventure himself into the batttl Thou shalt say they go no more with us lest thou quench the light of Israel 2 Sam. 21.17 and more â—ully 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousand of us They would not hazard the person of the King in the battel Why because thou art worth ten thousand of us The dignity of a Prince is so great that ten thousand will not countervail the loss of him If this be the esteem and worth of David what is the worth of David's Prince If thus with a King what with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords This is a great ground of the sufficiency of Christ's suffering Heb. 9.13 If the blood of Bulls and Goats sanctifie to the purifying of the flesh how much more vers 14. shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God It is not the offering of the body only but he did it through his eternal Spirit When the Martyrs and Saints offered themselves a sacrifice they offered it through the flames of their love and therefore embraced the stake and love is described as strong as death but Christ did not offer his Sacrifice with the flames of his love though love was in him the greatest that ever was but with the everlasting flames of his Godhead and Deity with that fire from heaven which is a consuming fire He did the deed that will purge our Consciences from dead works Act. 20.28 Take heed unto your selves and to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseerâ— to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood God hath purchased the Church with his own blood whose blood God's blood The blood of God must be shed He who thought it no robbery to be equal with God must shed his own blood As Zippora saith to Moses a bloody husband hast thou been to me Exod. 4.25 So may Christ say to his Church a bloody Spouse hast thou been to me that my blood must be shed for thee 1 Cor. 2.8 Had they known they would not have crucified he Lord of Glory that is they would not have crucified God He that was crucified was the glorious Lord God Act. 3.15 You denyed the holy one and killed the Prince of life Here 's the matter unless the Prince of life had been killed thou couldst not have life This the Apostle sets down as the ground of all before he comes to the particularities of his humiliation and sets down who it was who was thus humbled He whom the Heaven of Heavens could not contain he must descend into the lowermost parts of the earth that 's a descent indeed His Humiliation appears in this that he who was thus high became a man and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. In this humiliation consider I say these two Points 1. The person who was humbled 2. The degrees of his humiliation Some things have regard to the whole course of his life others to the conclusion or period of his life All his life from his incarnation to his passion was a continual thred of humiliation from his Cradle to his Cross from his Womb to his Tomb So here is set down the humbled life of our blessed Saviour For I would not have you think his humiliation consisted only in coming to the Cross when they so mercilesly handled him it cost him more then so as sinners have the curse of God on them in their life as well as in their death So Christ must have a miserable life as well as an accursed death Though the heat came at the end o the Tragedy yet his whole life was a continual suffering Consider the degrees of it 1. He made himself of no Reputation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he emptied himself It was the second person in the Trinity that thus humbled and emptied himself not in his divine nature but his assumed of all his transcendent endowments Consider the particulars of it he took on him the form of a servant Was not this a great humiliation That the second person in the Trinity should stoop so low as to take on him the nature of one who is not worth the looking on That he should take dust and ashes upon him Psalm 113.5 6. Gods greatness is thus expressed Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things in heaven and in the earth What Humiliation is that Compare these two humiliations tonether It is an humiliation to cast but his eye upon the Heavens to look upon the most glorious of all his works to look upon the Angels but what is man that thou so regardest him That thou shouldst not only look upon him but take him up and make him an inmate under thine own roof This is a greater abasement but here 's a further degree Christ during the time of his pilgrimage was content to deprive himself of his Glory that he now enjoyes By reason of his Hypostatical Union with the God-head he deserves all honour and glory When he brought his first begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels worship him Heb. 1.6 Every knee bows to him that is thus highly exalted We see Christ crowned with glory and honour all Dominion and Power being made subject unto him yet he for thirty three years and an half was content to be exiled from his Fathers court John 17.5 Glorifie thou me with the glory I had with thee before the world was Which is expounded in the Proverbs where the Wisdom of God was shewn before the world was framed Prov. 8.30 Then I was by him as one brought up with him and I was dayly his delight rejoycing always before him this was the work before the foundation of the World which God was doing the Father was glorifying the Son and the Son was glorifying the Father The Father took infinite delight in the Son and the
's to no other purpose to thee to come to the Sacrament that if thou wentest to a Mass to see the Gesticulations Elevations or if thou wentest to see a play not knowing to what end and purpose it was done Such a one is not a friend of God but an enemy that shall be destroyed in everlasting fire that knows not him Deceive not then your selves but seriously weigh it and consider what a Judgment falls on us for this What an unworthy thing is it when as in one months space or less if a man had any care he might learn as much as would bring him to Heaven What saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.34 Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame And a shameful thing it is indeed when the knowledge of the Principles of Christian Religion may be had in so short a space to be so grosly ignorant as commonly many are It 's a most unworthy and a shameful thing to think the knowledge of Christ not worth thus much pains Thou that carest not for the knowledge of God's ways what hast thou to do to take his Word into thy mouth to tread in his Courts I doubt not but very many here too are but Babes in Christ. An ignorant person then cannot possibly come worthily for w◠are to come with faith and Faith cannot be without knowledge And hence are they joyned both together By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa. 53.11 By his knowledge not subjectivè but objectivè the knowledge of him if thou knowest not him his Nature and Offices the end of his offering himself and wilt be still a meer Ignoramus come not to God's Table go to Nebuchadnezzar and feed with him amongst the beasts Dan. 4.33 thou hast nothing to do here Nay the very beasts among whom he fed will upbraid thee For the ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his master's crib but thou art like stupid Israel which did neither know nor consider Isa. 1.3 This is the first sort 2. The second are those that obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have wit enough and can talk of Religion fast enough but where is the obedience is required I know the Lord gives me the proffer of Christ Jesus can I cast down my proud Will and submit it lay down my stately plumes and take him not only as my Priest to sacrifice himself for me but as my Lord and my King to be guided governed and ruled by him when such a one comes that hath not the power of grace in him who is filled with nothing but Rebellion and profaneness when such a one comes and presumes to sit down at God's Table it is a most unworthy Act It 's more fit that such a one should feed amongst the swine than eat the body and drink the blood of his Saviour Nor is it an unworthy Act for these only but also for civil honest persons though civility be a good stook whereon the sience of grace may be grafted but if a man had nothing besides what nature and Education can teach what moral Philosophy can store us with we have nothing to do at this Table of the Lord. How can I dare presume to eat Christ's body and drink Christ's blood that am not acquainted with God know not the Principles of Religion and will not be swayed by him nor be obedient unto his Gospel These are the particulars then which make a man an unworthy Receiver First when he is an ignorant person and secondly when he will not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ such persons are to be discarded and cashiered they eat the Judgment of condemnation unto themselves But there are as I shewed you a second sort that come that have interest in the business such as have Knowledge Grace and Faith in Christ and shall taste of the new wine with Christ in the world to come and be with Christ which notwithstanding may eat and drink unworthily and come unpreparedly and irreverently whereby they lose that comfort that otherwise they might have and these though they eat not the Judgment of condemnation yet they do the Judgment of chastisement they put God's seal to a blank but the former sort put it to a false instrument they put it to a blank I say and by that means lose much comfort yea temporal life it self too perchance They eat a Judgment of Chastisement by putting it thus to a blank they taste God's displeasure in sickness weakness and death but I will shew you how you may avoid this why come worthily Fit your selves to the purpose set to it and thou shalt see one Communion will even bring thee to Heaven I say if that thou couldst but at one Communion fit thy self to come worthily thou wouldst find exceeding comfort in it Try the Lord once and see what a mighty encrease of grace this will bring unto thee That you may know how you may come worthily there are three things requisite to every worthy Receiver at the Lord's Table 1. Some things are requisite before the Action be enterprised or else I shall come very unworthily 2. Some at the time and in the very act of Receiving 3. Others after the Communion is ended Many will be perswaded that there is some preparation to be used before hand but never do as much as dream of any after whereas if a man neglect this the Lords meat is as it were lost in us 1. As for those things which are requisite before we come to the Lords Table they are these 1. A Consideration what need I have of the Sacrament Is there any such necessity of it Examine then what need have I to eat my meat and receive my drink When we see God brings this before us let us reason thus with our selves it is as needful for the nourishment of my soul to receive the Sacrament as for my body to take meat and drink This is that whereby we are spiritually strengthned and enabled to hold out to the last And here I 'le not stand to dispute the case whether a man may fall from Grace or not And no doubt but he may yet I say not that he doth I say no doubt but he may and why There is such an opposition and antipathy betwixt the flesh and the spirit that did not God refresh the spirit now and then it might be overborn by the bulk of our corruptions Now Gods Ordinances are appointed to keep it in heart and refresh it as the sick spouse was staid with Apples and comforted with flagons Cant. 2.5 And God hath appointed his Sacrament of the Lords Supper to strengthen and continue that life which we received in Baptism as by spiritual nourishment In Baptism our stock of life is given us by the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist it is confirmed and continued If a child be born only and after birth not nourished there is none but will know what a death such a soul
of righteousness for they have the same covering by justication by Christ in heaven that they had before God covers their sins not here only but there also justification follows them for ever Quest. But now what parts hath justification in it we are wont to say that there are two parts one imputation of righteousness the other forgiveness of sins Sol. I answer for my own part I think Justification is one simple act of God and that it is improperly distinguished as parts but rather as terminus a quo is distinct from terminus ad quem And this I shall shew unto you both by reason and authority that faith is but one act Let none say that I take away the imputation of the righteousness of Christ No the bringing in of light and the expulsion of darkness is not two acts but one but there is terminus à quo and terminus ad quem We are accounted righteous and that is we have our sins forgiven And the reason is this if sin were a positive thing and had a being in it self then the forgiveness of sin must be a thing distinct from the imputation of righteousness Scholars know the difference between adversa and privantia white and black are both existent but darkness and light are not but only a privation one of another Darkness is nothing of it self but the absence of light The bringing in of light is the suppression of it You must understand sin hath no being no entity it is only an absence of righteousness the want of that light which should be in the subject Which want is either in our nature and then it is called original or in our person and actions and then it is called actual transgression Sin is an absence of that positive being which is as I said either in our nature or works Then thus I will resolve you in another point viz. If sin were a positive thing all the world cannot avoid it but God must be the Author of it for there is nothing can have a being but it must derive its being from the first being God Now how can we avoid God's being the Author of sin Why thus It is nothing But what is sin nothing Will God damn a man and send him to hell for nothing I answer it is not such a nothing as you make it a man is not damned for nothing It is a nothing privative an absence of that that should be and that a man ought to have As when a Scholar is whipped for not saying his lesson is he whipped think you for nothing Indeed he hath nothing he cannot say a word of his lesson and therefore it is he is whipped it is for a thing he ought to have and hath not Well if you will say there are two parts of justification do if you please but this I take to be the more proper and genuine explanation Besides it appears by testimony of the Apostle Rom. 4.6 As David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works c. Saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered The Apostle cites the Prophet David Psal. 32. Mark the Apostle's conclusion and how he proves it His conclusion is That man is blessed unto whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works His argument then must needs be thus framed He whom God forgives is blessed But Him to whom God imputeth righteousness without works God forgives Therefore he is blessed Now how could this assumption hold if imputation of righteousness and remission of sins were two distinct acts for not imputing righteousness is not to bring in a light which keeps out darkness But observe the Apostle to the Colossians and Ephesians makes this forgiveness of sins the whole work nay foundation of our redemption But here remember I deny not the imputation of righteousness for that is the foundation of the other here is the point How is Christ's righteousness imputed to me that positive thing which expels the other Not so as if Christ's righteousness were in me subjectively for it was wrought by his passion as well as his action The Apostle calls it faith in his blood by faith in Christ Christ's passive obedience is imputed to me What do you think the meaning is that God doth esteem me as if I had hanged on the Cross and as if I had my side pierced No that would not stead me or do me any good that which was meritorious and singular in him did reach to us So that the meaning is this as it is in the Articles of the Church of England That we are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith and not for our own works and deservings that is for the merits of Jesus Christ God is well pleased with the obedience of his Son both active and passive He is so far satisfied as that he takes us to be in that state for his sake as if we had fulfilled all his Laws and never broken them at any time and as if we owed him not a farthing This is imputative righteousness however the Papists may scoff at it And this kind of justification must of necessity be by imputation Why because when a man hath committed a sin it cannot be undone again God by his absolute power cannot make a thing done undone for it implies a contradiction The act past cannot be revoked nor the nature thereof changed murther will be murther still c. How then can I be justified the sin being past and the nature of it still remaining I say how can I be justified in the first sense any other way than by imputation It is said in 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them c. This kind of justification which consists in remission of sins cannot be imputative sin cannot be changed nor the thing done undone But now cometh a greater question if by justification our sins be forgiven us what sins are forgiven I pray sins past or sins to come we are taught by some that in the instant of justification all our sins past and to come are remitted which is in my mind an unsound doctrine For if we look narrowly into it we shall find that in propriety of speech remission of sins hath relation to that which is past it is said therefore Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath 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 And remission of sins hath relation to those that are past as appears by inevitable reason for what is remission of sins but sin covered Now can a thing be covered before it be blot out mine iniquities c. Psal. 51.1 saith David can a thing be blotted out before it is written this is the thing makes the Pope so ridiculous that