of Christ as flesh reckoned to his Divinitie made an equal satisfaction to God's offended Majestie The influence and valor of the divine nature assisting the humane for the fulfilling of the merit for if the Suretie fail in any point his undertakeing is uneffectual The Mediator then beeing to mediate between God and Man must needs bee God 1. In respect of those evils hee was to expiate as sin and uncleanness 2. those enemies hee was to vanquish as Satan death and wrath 3. Those good things hee was too purchase eternal righteousness the image of God and glorie hereafter in the presence of God Vsn I. Let this teach us to adore the Mysterie of the Godhead of Christ that wee rest in no inferior object whatsoever the world can affoard us But remember hee is God blessed above all and hath merited by his glorious power a glorious deliverance for his Church from death to eternal life Vse II. This affoard's us a notable ground of understanding a real difference of the persons in Trinitie God the Father send 's God the Son into the world to save it by the power of God the holie Ghost conveying and sealeing his merit to the Soul of the Elect. Now except there bee admitted a real distinction of the persons in Trinitie how shall one and the same God for beeing bee the partie satisfying and satisfied Vse III. Of Exhortation to all that are loaden with their sin desireing eas to com to this second well-spring of salvation and to drink water of life freely from it that is believ it for themselvs Especially let this beat down self in us in the matter of our conversion What should wee bring to God for our Redemption can wee bring any light to the Sun or drop to the Ocean all fulness is his hee must do all for and in us before and in conversion Again let us lay hold on Jesus Christ who hath satisfied God and taken away wrath Let this give a beeing and bottom of truth to all the promises of God in our soul And let us draw neer with confidence to the God of promises and comfort our heavie heart in the view of the hainous circumstances of her sin makeing it out of measure sinful Bee not dismaid hee that is thy Suretie made not thy peace for small and som but all and the greatest so that thy thought must bee how to receiv this fulness not for the greatness of this sin III Branch The Personal Vnion Union of both Natures into one Person by the unconceiveable work of the Spirit it 's much that Soul and Bodie but much more that Flesh and the Word should bee really in one Person The person of the Word took the nature of flesh therein to subsist It is called Personal Union to distinguish it from other Unions in Christ and all other Unions whatsoever In Christ there is a well-spring of Unions but no personal Union in them The Union of Christs Godhead with the Father and the Spirit is Essential with his invisible Church Spiritual and Mystical with Water in Baptism and Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper Sacramental In other Unions the things united are One either by bare notional apprehensions as things understood by the fancie or els One by compounding as when of three or four drugs is made one med'cine or els by mixture and confusion as when Water and Wine are made one substance or els by Divine institution as when man and wife are made one flesh none of these are personal Unions But Personal Vnion is such an one as whereby both natures so retain their distinct properties unconfounded that yet they remain indissolubly united in the person without the least seqaration no not at death in the grave Vse I. This teache's us to conceiv aright of the person of Christ wee must com to God in and by the flesh of the Son the second person The equal tearm and object must bee the personal Union i e. the Manhood must as truly bee praied unto and adored as the Godhead Vse II. It teache's us a difference between the subsisting of Christs flesh and all other subsistings wee subsist in the union of bodie and soul which two make one and the same person but the manhood of Christ is no person or subsistence by union of soul and bodie but by assumeing the nature of man into the person of the Son of God so that the flesh hath no subsisting at all save in the upholding power of the Godhead as the plant Misselto hath no root of its own to subsist in but subsist's in another tree Vse III. To encourage the soul that is afraid to draw neer to God for reconciliation and mercie in Christ becaus of the estrangement of it self from God by loss of image Lo the Lord is willing to unite himself unto thee poor soul in his Son by vertue of his union with thy fearful frail nature For by this union he hath purchased a spiritual union between himself and the sinful soul How singular an encouragemement then should this be to a poor soul to fasten on the promise when hee see 's it assisted by this all-sufficient merit issuing from the union of both natures both suffering and meriting Quest What is the Vnction of Christ Answ It is a consequent upon this personal union whereby the Godhead made the Manhood full of himself and of all gifts and graces of the spirit meet to enable him to his work of mediation and by name separated him from men to bee excellent as to bee the Prophet Priest and King of his Church Hee was Priest to satisfie and pray for Prophet to teach and King to rule and deliver his people I. Vnction of Priesthood The Uuction of Priesthood is the chief part of the Unction of Christ becaus by vertue of that office hee performed the great work of satisfaction Two things are to bee considered in this Annointing of Christ our Priest 1. The peculiarness 2. The furniture of gifts For the first although there were many things in the ordinarie Priesthood of Aaron which resembled Christ for the general yet becaus there were many things verie different therefore the holie Ghost set's him forth by the type of Melchisedeck's Priesthood For as hee was without beginning and end in his storie so was Christ not as Aaron mortal mutable sinful Secondly the Furniture which this Unction filled the Lord JESUS our high-Priest withall and that without measure For as the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily so all the communicable gifts and excellencies thereof dwelt in him Eminent wisdom rightousness humilitie unblameablenes holiness separation from sinners and all other graces but as I take it one fruit of his Unction was his peculiar fitness to satisfie That holie free consent of his to the will of his Father to do and suffer and fulfil all righteousness I say this absolute and unstained Obedience to go thorow all difficulties meekly long-sufferingly cheerfully
Passive Obedience His Passive Obedience is his whole humiliation both in the abasement and sufferings of his whole life through the which hee was one smitten of God and humbled yea a man of sorrows and especially that one main suffering upon the cross whereby hee emptied himself most thorowly and yeelded himself a sacrifice most freely to the wrath of his Father by his death that thereby sin with all her penalties inward outward and eternal with that power which the law and all enemies hell and death had thereby over us might bee abolished justice appeased and righteousness and life obtained Rom. 3. 25. Heb. 9. 13 24. 1 Pet. 1. 19. The Passive Obedience stand's in two things 1. The Preparation thereunto 2. The Passion it self 1. The Preparation stood in two things partly the condition hee undertook partly the antecedent suffering of his life For the first it was a willing putting of his neck into the collar of subjection emptying himself of his glorie so far as being the Lord of all to com into the fashion of a servant in which respect hee refused no tearms but despised all shame Phil. 2. 4 5 6. Heb. 12. 2. 3. 2ly Haveing subjected himself to bee a meet object of suffering and sorrow hee became indeed a man of sorrowes through his whole life and therefore hee concealed his glorie further than it made for the discharge of his office of Mediator as a Prophet or a King for then hee step't out of his baseness See Matth. 21. 12. Luke 13. 32. 2. The Passion it self considered two waies 1. In the Parts of it 2. In the moderation of it For the Parts first hee endured the forsaking of his dearest disciples taken by his own servant Judas to suffer intolerable indignities c. Secondly to bee put to the shameful death of the Cross Thirdly to these add the greatest of all both in the Garden and upon the Cross the most bitter cup of wrath which hee drank from the hand of his Father which made him in an agonie to sweat drops of blood and to pray that that cup might pass from him and to crie out My God why hast thou forsaken mee The Moderation of it appeared in this that in all this abasement yet that measure was imposed and no more which suited to the dignitie of the person suffering and to such an one as by suffering merited and could not bee overcom by suffering Hence it was that wee had intermission of all his agonies and fears c. Vse I. The doctrine whereof may affoard us a sweet meditation concerning the excellencie of the grace of the gospel purchased by this satisfaction which will appear by a comparison of the Work of Creation with the Work of Redemption The former was a solemn work when the eternal Word made man according to his own image But when the same eternal Word create's man the second time a few words will not serv but God himself must emptie himself of his fulness and glorie No other price will serv turn but the Actual fulfilling all righteousness and the shedding of his heart-blood At this work not onely men but Angels stand and wonder Oh! that the view of this might ravish our souls with the worth of grace to say The least dram of Grace is more worth then the whole work of Nature If the breath of Creation were such a thing what is Regeneration that cost not a breath but so great a Workmanship of this Active and Passive satisfaction Vse II. Let us abhor the conceit of such Sectaries as imagine there was no necessitie at all of any such price-paying to justice it 's an horrible derogation to Scripture and to the wisdom of God and savoreth of a prophane and audacious spirit rather let it present to us the hideous nature of sin and justice if sin in our selvs will not break our hearts let it break them in the view of Christ broken by them Oh! unspeakable love to be willing to bee pierced by murderers that they might escape to say Oh Father here is the suretie lay no debt or punishment on these debtors I have taken all upon mee if thou wilt needs have the uttermost powr out thy wrath upon him that can satisfie not upon them that cannot trie whether there bee any drop of mourning in thee by this due sight of sin and justice and say O Lord if I were left to bee my own satisfier if thou shouldest have said to Christ as once to Moses Them that sin against mee I will punish of thee I will require nothing oh how terrible had our condition been Vse III. Let this Doctrine consute First all Sectaries who teach that Christ had no guilt cast upon him by justice that Christ suffred nothing in his soul from God's Wrath. Let us abhor such novelties and know if Christ suffred no more the the malice of man there remaineih a necessitie of a second suffering for us from justice Let us beware while wee go about to mince and lessen the sufferings of Christ wee dstroy the truth of a Mediator and bereav the soul of that which should uphold her conflict with justice Secondly Let it teach us to abhor the opinion of those Lutherans who teach that wee must bee possessed wtth the verie self-same righteousness wherewith Christ obeyed and suffered and this they imagine to bee the matter of our justification and that els God cannot in justice acquit us But thus they make Christ serv for no other ends but to make us becom our own Mediator and to destroy his own Thirdly it confute's those Sectaries who affirm God seeeth no sin in any of his if hee have once imputed Christ's righteousness to them This error arise's from not-distinguishing these two Imputation of perfect righteousness and perfect imputeing or accepting of imputed righteousness No man is justified without the former but our faith failing in the acceptance must needs bee looked on by God I confess hee see 's no sin but hee pardon 's it to his in Christ upon faith and repentance but hee punishe's it for their good in mercie Again what if wee grant God see 's no sin in them in respect of their justification Is therefore their Sanctification perfect Why then did David's Adulterie displeas the Lord or why do wee pray forgive us our Debts or why saith our Savior say When all is don yee are unprofitable Fourthly it confute's all such as cut off the active obedience of Christ from the satisfaction as they cut the garments of David's servants by the middle It may bee granted them that the passive is the more immediate consummation of the satisfaction but to exclude the active is most audacious Vse IV. To teach all God's people to abhor the slaverie of hypocrites who if they could shun Hell would never care for Rightousness God's people although they could sin unseen and unpunished yet would loath it They take as deep thought for God as for their own
God and they Scriptures what enemies have they to darken and dull them their sences understandings and heart what enemies of the wicked have they without them III Husbands Wives to dismay them telling them that they cannot bee assured in this life of their salvation How do enemies affright them with malice threats big-looks disclain and scorn putting them in fear they shall never escape out of their claws In this varietie of affliction what is there to sustain them What is it which teacheth to kiss the rod take up their cross and bear the indignation of the Lord till hee plead their caus and bring forth their light Surely the strength of their Captain and Conqueror the Lord JESUS who hath told them In the world they shall have affliction but bee of good comfort I have overcom the world It 's hee that tell 's them till God's season of their suffering bee com so much so long and that very cross God hath ordeined for them no enemie shall do them hurt And when they do hee will make it tolerable and easie unto them do them good for their sakes that hurt them But above all they are made Conquerors and their chin is kept above water they fight under hope of victorie and say with the Church Micah 7. 8. Rejoice not over mee Oh mine enemie for when I am down I shall rise and when thou art fallen thy wound shall bee incurable Lastly it comfort 's them by faith in the conquest of our Lord Jesus against the power of death and the grave For as it was with their head hee could not bee held in it so with them their flesh rest's in hope of that triumph This conquest make's us happie in all our miserie For why Even by that verie death which is the last enemie and the gate of utter miserie to the wicked the Lord open's a door of full and final redemption to the faithful Their lowest ebb is the next step to the highest tide of their soul's happiness and final freedom from all sin sorrow and enemies Wee shall bee as much out of Gun-shot of them as the Lord Jesus himself was after his Conquest VII Branch Applying of Christ's Merit The Applying work of Christ's merit is that solemn part of his Mediation for the sake whereof hee forsook the earth and was exalted above all principalities and sitteth at the right hand of God his Father that by his intercession alwaies made for his Church hee might applie to all the members the power of this satsfaction that it might work faith in those that want it and confirm it in those that have it Therefore hee is called Advocate that the Church may enjoy the fruit of his death continually And as the ends hereof are many to wit to present the prayers of his people unto God to hold them close to his Father and keep them in his love to cover their dailie offences and continue their justification and acceptance to unite them one to another and to protect them from enemies so especially to bless the Ministerie of the Gospel for the breeding Faith in the souls of the Elect by the preaching of this his Blood and Death So that when wee see the prevailing power of the Word and Sacraments in the weak ministerie of flesh what shall wee asscribe unto it but the power of this applying work of our Advocate who convey's favor of life of brokenness of heart faith and regeneration thereby into the souls of his and in this respect hee is the key of his Fathers bosom and fountain to unlock and set it open beeing sealed before for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in Vse I. As it is singular for all uses to the Church in general and all the lively members thereof in all concernments of it whatsoever as acceptance of their praiers beeing perfumed with the sweet incens thereof protection of their persons safeguard against enemies sustentation of their souls in grace perseverance and the like so especially seeing by the blood of Jesus wee have a liveing way made unto us by his flesh let us draw neer with a pure heart in assurance of faith Oh! it should bee as a wel-spring of salvation for everie drie soul to com unto even in the greatest barrenness deadness and fear of heart that the merit of Christ should not belong unto it Therefore go not to the Word and Sacraments any more with a dead and sad heart as if there were nothing in them save an out-side of man's voice and efficacie to perswade behold Christ in them who by his applying power convey's into them strength savor persuasion and grace that his poor people may not hear his Word as a dead letter or receiv the Seals as dumb elements but as divine ordinances assisted with the Spirit of Christ and therefore able to breed faith in the soul and truly to carrie it into the stream of his satiafaction Deceiv not thy self in the condition of faith and assure thy self the Lord Jesus will give thee both meat and appetite the object of his righteousness and faith to believ it also Vse II. Let us bee exhorted to denie our own strength conceits hopes or fears and and as oft as wee go to the Word remember it is a word of reconciliation Vse III. Let all the faithful Ministers of God comfort themselvs in their weakness and defects of preaching in the little success of their labors of woful hardness of heart in their people The Lord Jesus by his spirit of intercession hold's them as his candle-sticks in his right hand hand and hee will uphold gospel ministerie and the power of both in the mid'st of their enemies and although they bee never so furious yet Mic. 2. 7. his spirit shall not bee streightned but his word shall still bee good to such as walk uprightly ARTIC III. GOD'S imputation of the merits of CHRIST'S righteousness to a sinful Soul is the formal caus of our justification IMputation doth import such an act of GOD the Father satisfied as doth take this righteousness and reckon it to the needing Soul as her own although it bee inherent in another to cast upon it an estate of as full and perfect freedom and acceptance as if it had never sinned or had fully satisfied for look how he dealt with our Suretie hee made him sin for us that is imputed it to him as his so doth hee take his righteousness and count it ours that it might bee really ours indeed This doctine of imputation is expressed by divers phrases in the Scripture By the tearm of not-imputeing sin and imputeing righteousness hee intimate's in how many respects Christ hath holpen us to wit both to forgiveness in the one beeing made sin for us and to acceptation in the other by cloatheing us with his righteousness yet so as by both Active and Passive righteousness jointly not severally considered By imputeing righteousness and imputeing faith for righneousness is mean't one thing Not that faith in