done to Him but Heaven to procure by their own merits for they lay down this a ground that Glory in it's full being the proper reward of merit which say they is not founded on God's Promise for that were to merit Congruously only and not Condignally nor is it founded on Christ's merit for that were to reward His merit which to them is absurd though they grant an intrinsick worth to be in both But it 's merit in strict Justice on and by which they expect Heaven and Glory and having Heaven as we say to procure by their own Merit because they cannot thus Merit it especially if Mans Nature be looked on as corrupted they invent two things or forge two divices for that 1. To deny Concupiscence to be Sin And 2. To distinguish betwixt Mortal and Venial Sins and Venial Sins they make to be consistent with Merit in which they take in a world of things as not deadly And if a Man have not Merit enough of his own they have a Treasure of Merits of many Saints who have Satisfied for more than their own Guilt amounted to and have merited more than Heaven to themselves And the Pope being by them supposed to have a right and power to dispense these Merits he gives to them that want a right to such and such a Saints Merits And when all is done they confesse that this way of Justification is not certain that it cannot give Peace that it may be lost and that being lost it cannot be recovered but by a new Grace gotten by the Sacrament of Pennance the very rehearsing of which things may let you see how unlike their Justification is to the Gospel and to the way of Justification that it layes down and what ground of thankfulness ye have to God who hath not only contrived but revealed unto you a more solid and comfortable way of Justification 1. Though their way hath much Pains Labour and Toil in it yet ye see what it amounts to and how much Uncertainty Anxiety and Horror do accompany it neither do they ever attain to Justification before God by it And this is the 2d thing we would speak a Word to even to shew that this way of Justification is inconsistent with the Gospel and that wherein a Soul can neither have solid Peace nor Comfort and we shall speak a little to this 1. In general and then 2. More particularly 1. In general their way of Justification is the very re-establishing of the Covenant of Works For it supposeth that God hath conditioned Life to none but on condition of their Works which in their value are Meritorious It is true they First allow to Christ's Merit this much that He hath thereby procured this Merit to their Works And 2. that He hath procured to them habitual Grace to work these works though as we said before they must dispose themselves for that Grace but that doth not alter the nature of a Covenant of Works seing the terms are still the same For consider Adam before the fall he was to expect Life according to the terms of that Covenant Do this and live and here the terms of the Covenant are the same though their use be different and if the Scriptures so opposes these two That if it be of grace it is no more works and contrarly then sure this way of Justification that puts a Man to the same terms of the Covenant that Adam had to expect Life by must necessarily be inconsistent with the Gospel This will be the more clear if we consider how they themselves illustrat their Meriting by 〈◊〉 Works of the Saints by Adam his Merâ—â—â—ng of Life while he stood the which Meriting flows from an intrinsick worth in the Works themselves without respect to Christ's Merits And if the Covenant of Works hath these same terms then their Justification no doubt must be a Re-establishing of that Covenant 2. The Scripture speaks of our obtaining of our Justification and Righteousnesse alwayes in this sense to wit by Gods imputing the Righteousnesse of Christ to us not only for coming at the first Grace but for attaining Heaven and Glory It 's that which Paul leans to when he comes before God Phil. 3. That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousn ss which is by the Law but the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ He layes by the one and betakes himself to the other as his only defence and that whereon he doth ground his Plea before God Now this being the Scripture way of Justification and their way being quite contrare to it for if they were asked how think ye to answer before God they behoved to say by the merits of our good Works It must needs be inconsistent with the Grace of the Gospel and that which Paul would by no means hazard his peace upon We will find nothing more frequently mentioned in Scripture for the making of our peace with God then Covenanting with God the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and Justification by Faith But all â—hese Three are here in their way of Justification shut out and excluded For they have no such thing as Covenanting they scorn the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse as but a putative and imaginary thing and they cannot endure Justification by Faith But 2dly and more particularly Behold and consider how universally it corrupts and even destroyes the Doctrine of the Gospel 1. It corrupts and destroys the nature of Grace for it hangeth it on mans free will he must dispose himself for it and it gives him liberty to choose or reject it as he pleaseth and it makes tâ—at to flow from man himself that satisfies Gods Justice as if Remission of Sins were not free And in the Second Justification and Admissâ—on to Heaven and Glory It utterly excludes Grace and takes in Merit and makes Heaven the proper rewaâ—d of Mans own Merit 2dly It enervats the Merit of Christ and His Purchase though it seem in words to acknowledge it Because it neither admits of the Merit of Christ as the Satisfaction to Justice by which the punishment is taken away nor to be that by which Life is procuâ—ed but it takes in Works Satisfaction by Pennance Whippings Pilgrimages c. And all that it leaveth to Christs Death is the procuring of a new Covenant of Works and the buying of a Stock of habitual Grace to Man to send for himself but it layes not the removing of the punishment on Christ as our Cautioner in our name satisfying the Justice of God for our Sins but it leaves it on our selves and on our keeping the Covenant of Works as that whereto the Promise is made 3dly It overturns the nature of Gods Covenant for either it makes no Covenant at all or it transforms the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works putting us to expect Life through the Merits of Works For they will have no Promise of Life to be made on condition of Christs Merit
day cursing in Hell under the Wrath of God that they let slip and passed over so many golden Opportunities of the Gospel without improvement and know ye not that it will come to the same sad pass with you if ye do not receive it Do Men live always Is there not an appointed time for all Men upon Earth If before we have savingly exercised Faith on Him for making Peace with God we be drawn to a reckoning before His Tribunal what will come of it and are not our precious Opportunites apace and always sliping by and is not the work of Faith by delays still the more difficult are not our Bonds still the more strengthened and doth not our Indisposition still grow the greater and is it not very ordinary to see these who have slighted the work of Faith in their Youth to live stupid in their old Age and die Sensless 4. Consider what sort of Folk they are of whom the Scripture speaks as Unbelievers and whom the Word of God holds forth to be eternally secluded from the presence of God for the want of Faith Many think that it 's but the grosly Prophane or such as never had so much as the form of Religion and such as others would scunner and loath to hear them but mentioned that it's I say only such that are accounted Unbelievers But the Scripture speaks of some that seek to enter in and shall not be able that desire to be in Heaven and take some pains to win in and yet are never admitted to enter into it and what is the reason because they took not the way of Believing for the obtaining of Life and coming to Heaven they took the way of Works they took the way of Prayer of Purposes Promises and Resolutions to ammend and grow better quite overlooking Christ and the way of Believing in Him and so took the way of Presumption and promised themselves Peace when there was no true Peace nor any solid ground for it 5. Consider which is of affinity with the former Consideration them that are secluded from the presence of God for the want of Faith they are even Men and Women as we are that lived in the same Kingdom and City with us that prayed in the same Company with us that thought themselves as sure of Heaven as many of us do that were guilty of the same or like Sins that we are guilty of that have heard many of the same Preachings that we have heard and yet they perish for want of Faith for not believing in the Son of God Why then should we think that impossible as to us that is so common and frequent in others Is not the same Nature in us that 's in others and are not our Hearts naturally as deceitful and corrupt as those of others and so may not we be beguiled as well as others And is it not the same rule that He will walk by in judging of us that He walked by in judging of others What can be the reason that Folk will read and hear the Word and will promise to themselves Heaven when the same Word clears it plainly that Destruction is that which they have to look for from the Lord It is nothing else but this confident and proud Presumption that many take for Faith Let not your precious opportunities slip away and beguile not your selves in such a concerning matter as Faith is ye will never get this loss made up afterwards if ye miss Faith here Lastly Consider the great necessity that the Loâ—d hath laid upon all Men and Women by a peremptory Command and Charge to believe in the Son of God He hath not with greater peremptoriness required Prayer nor dependance upon Him nor any other Duty then He hath required this 1 John 3.23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ yea it 's singled out as His main Commandment If that great iniquiry be made What shall I do to be saved this is the answer Believe on Jesus Christ Do ye think that our Lord who hath so marked and signalized this Command in so special a manner will never take account for the slighting of it or do ye think to satisfie Him by your other Duties without minding this It cannot be Suppose ye should mourn all your Life-time and your Life were a pattern to others yet if ye want this one thing Faith in Christ ye will be found Transgressours as having neglected the main work Now for the Question ye will say What this is we are bidding you do when we bid you Believe Answ When we call you to Believe we call you 1. To be suitably affected with the sense of your own Naughtiness Sinfulness and Hâ—zaâ—d Till there be something of this Faith in our Lord Jesus hath no access nor will ever get welcome Deep apprehensions of the Wrath that is coming and a standing in awe at the thoughts of our appearing before Him contribute much to it I am not preaching Desperation to you as some mutter but we would press upon you the Faith of the Word of God that tells you what we are and liveliness under that impression that ye may not be stopped or letted till ye come to a thorow closure with Christ The most part of Hearers come never this length and this is the reason why many stumble in the very Threshold and make never Progress 2. We call for and commend this to you that ye would study to be through and clear as to the Usefulness and Excellency of Jesus Christ as to the efficacy of His Death as to the terms of the Covenant of Grace whereby a Sinner comes to obtain Right to Him to be sensible of Sin and Hazard without this is only the way to make a Man desperate and mad but when this is clear it makes an open door to the Sinner that he may see whither to run from the Wrath to come I do not only mean that ye would get the Catâ—chism and be able to answer to all the Questions concerning the Fundamentals of Religion contained therein but that ye would also and mainly seek to have the Faith of these things in your Hâ—arts and to have Faith in God that ye may be perswaded that He that was and is God died for Sinners and that by the application of His Satisfaction Sinners may obtain Life and that there is a sufficient Warrand given to a Sinner to hazard himself upon Him The first of these speaks the necessity of some Sense the second holds out the necessity of a general Faith according to that word Heb. 11. He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him We must know that there is a Warrand to come and ground to expect Acceptance from God upon our coming or else we will never come to nor believe in Christ The third thing that we call you to when we call you
the Gospel on the Lord 's manifesting His Arm so that where it is not manifested this work of Faith is not brought forth and where it is manifested necessarily it is brought forth This being a Doctrine concerning the Efficacy of God's Grace which ought not to ly hid from the Lords People we shall a little first clear it and then secondly confirm it to you First For clearing of it's Meaning 1. Ye would not take up our meaning in it so as if we made every common work that lively means may have on the Hearers of the Gospel to be Conversion The preaching of the Word will sometimes make Folks tremble as we see in Felix and will waken Convictions and Terrors in them and put them into an amazement and yet leave them there for all these Convictions may be and often are resisted as to any Saving Fruit at least which we conceive to be that which Stephen points at Acts 7.51 while he saith Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do ye and what he means by this is explained in the words following Which of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted c. even their contending with the Word of the Lord in the mouths of His Servants Yea in that same place where it 's said that they gnashed upon him with their teeth it 's insinuated that they came over the belly of the cutting Conviction which his Preaching had upon them Nor do we 2. mean That every common operation of the Spirit whether illumination of the Mind or a touch on the Affections such as may be in Temporaries and Apostates as is clear Mat. 13.20 21. Heb. 6.4 and downward is Conversion There is a great difference betwixt a common work or gift of the Spirit which in a large Sense maâ— be câ—â—â—ed Grace because freely given anâ— the â—â—vâ—ng work of Grace which before 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—eâ— a peculiar work And oft-times tâ—â—t câ—mmon operation of the Spirit is quenched and pâ—t out therefore the Apostle 1 Thess 5.19 exhorteth thus Quench not the Spirit 3. When we speak of an effectual bringing forth of Faith by this Grace of God we would not have you thinking that we suppose no reluctancy to be in the Man in so far as he is unrenewed for though where Grace effectually worketh Faith follows necessarily yet Corruption being in the Man it 's disposed and apt to thwart with and to oppose Grace and the Will hath its aversness to yield But the meaning of the Doctrine is this That though there be such a strong power of Corruption in the Man to whom Grace comes and on whom it is put forth yet the power of Grace is such that it powerfully masters and overcomes Corruption and wins the Heart to believe in and to engage with Christ though to speak so there be something within that strives to keep the door shut on Christ yet when it comes to that Cant. 5.3 He puts in his fingers by the holl of the lock and makes the myrrhe to drop the Heart is prevailed with so as it is effectually opened as the Heart of Lydia was to receive the Word that Paul preached Thus notwithstanding of Corruptions opposition Grace gains its point and the Lord never applys His Grace of purpose to gain a Soul but he prevails 4. When we speak of the power and effectualness of Grace in conquering and gaining the Heart and Will of the Sinner to believe in Jesus Christ we do not mean that there is any force or violence done to the Will or any exerting of a coactive power violenting the Will contrary to its essential property of freedom to close with Christ But this we mean that though Corruption be in the Heart yet Grace being infused and acted by the Spirit the pravity in the Will is sweetly cured and the Will is moved and made to Will willingly and upon choice by the power of the Spirit of Grace taking in that strong hold This great work is wrought by an omnipotent swavity and by a sweet omnipotency and it needs not at all seem strange for if Man in Nature be by the power of habitual Corruption made necessarily to will Evil so that notwithstanding he doth freely and willingly choose Evil why should it be thought strange oâ— absurd to say that when a principle of the Grace of God is infused into the Soul and acted by the Spirit of God If hath that much influence power and efficacy as to prevail with the Will it keeping still its own freedom to make it willing to embrace Jesus Christ and yet not at all thereby wrong that essential property of the Will sure Grace is as powerful as Corruption and the Lord is as dextrous a worker and can work as aggreeably to the nature of the Creature in this gracious work as the Creature can in its own sinful actings So then we say when the Lord is pleased to apply the work of His Grace to convert a Sinner that work is never frustrated but it always hath necessarily the work of Faith Renovation and Conversion following on the back of it Secondly We shall a little confirm the Doctrine and the grounds of Confirmation are these The 1. whereof is The express Scriptures wherein this Truth is asserted as John 6.44 45. It is said in the 44. Verse No man can come to me except the Father draw him and on the contrary it is as expressly set down vers 45. It is written in the Prophets they shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me and this being contradistinguished to external Preaching and being that which is called drawing v. 44. he knits Believing to it and makes Believing called coming a necessary effect of it that to whomsoever God gives that inward Lesson they shall come which confirms the Doctrine that whomsoever the Lord teaches and schools by His Grace and calls effectually they do necessarily Believe Another passage we have Phil. 2.12 13. Work out the work of your salvation in fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure where the Apostle makes the work of Grace not only to work ability to will and to do but to work also to will and to do actually and Grace never worketh to will and leaves the Man unwilling but necessarily supposeth the Man's closing willingly with Christ with whom He worketh thus A 2. Ground of confirmation is drawen from these Expressions whereby this work is set forth and the Promises comprehending it in God's Covenant wherein it 's called the giving of a new heart a heart of flesh the writing of the law in the heart the putting of his Spirit within his people and causing them to walk in his statutes c. Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.26 27. and it is impossible to conceive aright of the fulfilling of these
land of the living fâ—r the transgression of my people was he stricken THere is nothing that concerns us more than to be well acquainted with the doctrine of Christ Jesus and his Sufferings The Prophet hath therefore been much in shewing what Christ suffered in the former words and hath largely described his Humiliation to Judgment and Death for saith he he was cut off out of the land of the living In the words read he answers two important questions concerning his sufferings 1. To what end were all these sufferings he answers that they were for transgressions even to be a satisfaction to Justice for them The 2. Question is For whose sins were the sufferings of Christ to be a satisfaction It is answered expresly in the words for the transgression of my people was he stricken or the stroak was upon him it was for the sins of the Elect and of the Elect only for this is the Prophets scope who having spoken of Christs sufferings and death holds forth the meritorious and procuring cause and end thereof and this is the result design and sum of all even to be a satisfaction for Gods elect People for as we shew by Gods People are not meaned all men in the world nor the Jews only for Christ hath many sheep beside them but it 's Gods peculiar People in opposition to the multitude who are not his People The Doctrine or rather the branch of the Doctrine we left at was this and it 's exclusive that Christ's death is only intended to be a price for the sins of God's elect People and was laid down with respect to them his death and sufferings are to be looked upon and considered only as a price and satisfaction for their sins and for the sins of none other or thus Jesus Christ in his suffering and in the laying down of his life had a respect to the elect and intended the removing of the sins and transgressions of God's elect people only and of none other we know nothing that we can make of these words nor of the Prophets scope in them but this who as he hath been describing Christs sufferings in all other respects so doth he in this to wit in respect of the persons for whom he suffered and of the meritorious cause and end of his sufferings for says the Text for the transgressions of my people that is of Gods elect people was he stricken This branch of the Doctrine is of great weight and concernment in the whole strain of Grace for if this march-stone be lifted and removed Grace becomes common and as some call it universal and so to be in effect no grace at all for Grace hath a peculiar channel of its own wherein it runs towards a certain select number and not towards all I do not mean of grace taken in a large sense for so all men as they are partakers of any mercy or of common favours may be said to have grace extended to them but I mean God's special grace favour and good will which is extended only to the Elect for whose sins Christ suffered the right bounding of which Doctrine shews forth both God's soveraignty in the dispensing of grace and the freeness thereof in communicating and manifesting of it to whom he will and which thus considered is especially engaging of the hearts of them on whom he pleaseth to manifest it Ere I come to confirm this branch of the Doctrine take a word or two of advertisement in the entry 1. That Christ's death may be considered two ways 1. In respect of it self and as abstracting from the Covenant of Redemption wherein it is contrived as to all the circumstances of it in which sense as his death and sufferings are of infinite value worth so they are as Divines use to speak of value to redeem the whole world if God in his design and decree had so ordered and thought meet to extend it 2. We are to consider his sufferings and death as a price agreed upon in the Covenant or Bargain of Redemption wherein these two or three things concur 1. God's proposal 2. Christ's acceptation and design in laying down his life 3. The Fathers acquiescing therein and declaring himself well pleased therewith we speak not here of Christ's death in the first respect that is as abstracting from the Covenant for in that respect he might have laid down his life for few or moe for some or for all if it had been so intended but we speak of it in the second respect as it 's a price agreed upon in God's purpose and Christ's design and in God's acceptation and thus we say that his death is only intended as a satisfaction and recompence for the sins of the Elect and was laid down for them only 2ly We may consider Christ's sufferings and death in the fruits of it either as they respect common favours and mercies common gifts and means of grace which are not peculiar and saving but common to Believers with others being bestowed upon professors in the visible Church or as they are peculiar and saving such as Faith Justification Adoption c. Now when we say that Christ's sufferings and death are a price for the sins of his People we exclude not the Reprobate simply from temporal and common favours and mercies that come by his death they may have and actually have common gifts and works of the Spirit the means of Grace which are some way effects and fruits of the same Covenant but we say that the Reprobate partake not of saving Mercy and that Christs death is a satisfaction only for the Elect and that none others get pardon of Sin Faith Repentance c. by it but they only it was intended for none others and this we clear and confirm from and by these following grounds and arguments which we shall shortly hint at The 1. Argument is drawen from this same assertion of the Prophet thus If Christs death be only a satisfaction for the sins of Gods People then it is not a satisfaction for the sins of all but it 's a satisfaction only for the sins of Gods People therefore not for all for his People are not all men or all men are not his People but his People are a peculiar People separate from others in God's purpose and decree as we cleared before from John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me and the Text says expresly for the transgressions of my people was he stricken he respected the sins of God's People in accepting of the Bargain and in laying down his Life and for their sins only God accepted him yea the very mentioning of them thus here secludes all others and we must expone them exclusively as taking in none others and must look upon the things spoken of them as agreeing to no other even as it 's said Heb. 4. There remains therefore a rest to the people of God which is certainly exclusive of all others and hence when our Lord
that was caught 〈◊〉 the thicket of Thorns whereby Elect Sinners are fred and Himself made the Sacrifice that was provided in their room and place Thus in the Name that our Lord Jesus gets we have holden out to us the posture that all of us are in by nature if Christ interveen not to take the stroak off us on Himself laying Himself open to the stroak of Justice for Sin To clear it consider these three things which will hold out what this state and posture of ours is 1. The natural sinfulness and guilt that Men are lying under which makes them naked and to be as that wretched Infant spoken of Ezek. 16. Lying in their Blood cast forth into the open field to the loathing of their persons This makes God and them to be at feed and layes them open to the stroak of Justice 2. Consider the interveening of the Law of God that threatens the Curse on sin wherever it is and pronunces this Sentence that the wages of sin is death and sayes to the Sinner as it is said to Cain If thou sin death lyes at the door and in this sense Sinners are not only lyke to Malefactors taken and apprehended but like to such when sentenced to death Therefore John 3.18 It 's said He that believes not is condemned already 3. Consider that Men in their natural state who have broken the Covenant of Works have Justice some way pursuing them to the executing of the Sentence which God in His Law hath pronunced against them and they are as these shedders of Blood before they betook themselves in to the City of Refuge having the avenger of Blood following hard at their heell's in which sense John 3.36 It 's said He that believes not the wrath of God abids on him There is an actual appointment or ordination of the Curse added to the Laws Sentence till by Christ it be removed and this is in some sort gripping Him and taking Him as it were by the throat By the First of these Man is found guilty and lyable to Judgement by the Second he is Sentenced but by the Third the Sentence stands over his head ready to be executed and bespeaks him thus therefore thou art cursed therefore thou art a dead Man Soberly think upon this and make these Uses of it 1. See here the condition of all Men by nature and your own in particular a very terrible and dreadfull condition wherein they are like Men lying bound to be a Sacrifice to the wrath of God the Lords hand being streatched out to lay on the stroak and the wrath of God abiding on them do ye indeed belleve this to be your state and posture till application be made of Christs Sacrifice and till there be a laying of your Sin over on Him by Faith that ever till then ye are lyable to the Laws Sentence and that the Curâ—e and Wrath of God abydeth on you and yet this is the state and posture of all the Children of Adam that have not got Jesus Christ put in their room It was Typicall if the People did not bring an offering as was prescribed their Sin remained in them but it 's reall here Sin and Wrath remain where Christ is not made use of by Faith The 2. Use is for Expostulation with many of you that are still in Nature and I wish there were fewer of you in this case to be spoken to How comes it to passe when this is your condition by Nature that ye are so secure and that ye have few or no apprehensions at all of the Wrath of God and of the hazard of your immortal Souls Ah! are there none such here that apprehend there hazard were ye ever under it and if so how have ye been delivered out of it or who is come in your room do ye think it nothing to be under Sin and the Curse of God to have Wrath abiding in you yea abiding on you There are many of you who are sleeping sound now and that disdain to notice Challenges but as Solomon speaks of the Man that was sleeping on the top of a Mast and compleaning of that and of them that deceived him So shall it be with you that can lye still securely sleeping in sin and that put by one day after another and do not make use of this Sacrifice All that the Gospel aims at is this that ye would seek to change rooms with Christ that the feed may be rem ved and that the quarrel that is betwixt God and you may not be continued and keeped up especially seing there is a way laid down how to get your Debt satisfied for which if ye neglect what wil ye do when your day is gone are there not many dying dayly and is there not a day of reckoning coming when the stroak that is hanging and hovering over your head will light and seeing it is so why do ye lye still and slight Jesus Christ If it were believed what dreadful wrath is abiding many whereof your secure senslesness and sensless security is a part and what a terror it will waken in your Consciences one day ye would certainly think it good news to have the Sufferings of Christ spoken of and the Benefit of them offered to you now The 3. Use is to stir up Sinners to thankfulnesse especially such of you as are blest with effectual counsel to make the right use of this Sacrifice O! Consider how much ye are oblidged to God and to Christ the Mediator the preaching of the Gospel is now thought little of and is tastlesse to many but did ye know what is your state and posture by Nature how near ye are to hell and how near the Curse and Wrath are unto you even ready to grasp at you to tear and devour you the Mediators interposing to Satisfie for you would make him more lovely to you and ye that have gotten interest in Him secured would think your selves much unspeakably much in His common to say so and in the Debt of His Grace this was the posture that Grace found you in even lyable to the stroak of Gods drawn Sword of Justice and our Lord Jesus on the one side stepped in and said hold Lord let that be on me and let them go free and upon the other side there was Gods good pleasure condescending to except of His offer and saying Awake O sword and smite the shepherd and spare the sheep what obligation should this lay upon you to love and be thankfull to God and to the Mediator who interposed to keep the stroak off you I say upon you who are sinners and apprehensive of Wrath This is Christs offer and if ye be flâ—d to Him for refuge he hath changed Rooms with you ye are much as I said in His Debt He hath fred you of your Debt and purchased an absolution to you and there is no condemnation to you as it is Rom. 8.1 Whereas before ye were in a manner condemned already
and by me and what is the Reason I pray that so many perish unâ—er the Gospel who in Word acknowledge this one Offering and that it is it only which takes away Sin but because that notwithstanding of that Conviction and Acknowledgement they are never brought actuaâ—ly to make use of Christ and of this His Sacrifice and Offering and if ye think and acknowledge that there are many that go to Hell tha have the Knowledge and Conviction of this Truth ye must also grant that it is because they make not Conscience to make use of it 3. Consider that though there be many of the hearers of the Gospel who do not rest on Christ yet it is very hard to convince any of them that they are ready to slight Christ's Sacrifice I am sure that both the former will be granted 1. That nothing but Christs Sacrifice can Satisfie Justice 2. That many do not rest on it and so perish but if we come to the 3. Sarcely shall we find one that will grant except it be a tender Bodie that they make not use of Him they will easily be convinced that Adultery is a Sin and that they are guilty of it if they be so indeed that Drunkenness and Sabbath-breaking are Sins yea possibly which is more that vaging of the Mind in Duties of Worship is a Sin and that they are guilty of it but it is not so easie to convince them that they are guilty of the Sin of not making use of Christ and of His Sacrifice nay they are so puft up with a good opinion of themselves that they will laugh at such a Challenge And hence it is that so few make use of Christ's Sacrifice and of His Righteousnesse because so few are convinced thâ—t they believe not on Him Therefore when the Spirit comes John 16. It 's said that he shall convince the world of sin not because they did Whorâ— Drink Sâ—â—â—ar c. 〈◊〉 Convictioâ—s for these Sins will not be wanting but because they believe not in Christ And hence it is Luke 13.25 That these will not take Christ's first answer I know you not what as if they said knows thou not us we have eaten and drunken in thy presence we have professed Faith in thee and our hope to get Heaven by thy Righteousness and yet He shall answer them again peremptorly depart from me I know you not Not that there will be much to do or any great difficulty to convince folk in that day or any room left to debate the businesse but He would tell us by this that many die in this Delusion And if it be a thing that Folks are so hardly convinced of had they not need to be seriously sollicitous that they be not deceived and disappointed 4. Consider how sad the disappointment wil be to Sinners on day when they shall be brought to acknowledge that they knew that there was no other Name given whereby Sinners could be saved but the Name of Jesus and yet that they slighted and rejected Him ye that never seriously minded compting and reckoning with God do ye think on this and that the passing of the Sentence will be upon this ground to wit whether ye have fled to Jesus Christ and made use of His Sacrifice or not will it not be a sad disappointment to meet with a dolefull depart from me on this ground because though there was some Conviction that this was the only Sacrifice and Sin-offering that takes away Sin that yet it was not made use of nor made the ground of your Peace with God But to the 2. What is it then to make use of this Offering I know no better way then to explain it from the Typical Sacrifices that were under the Law and we may take it up in these three 1. It implyes a through Conviction of Folks lyablelenesse to the Justice of God for Sin and in an utter inability in our selves and an utter emptiness and impotencie in all other Means to satisfie for Sin thus they that brought the Sacrifice to the Priest laid their hands on the head of the Beast by which they acknowledged that Death was due unto them So then to have the lively sense of the due desert of Sin that is to have the Sentence of Death carried about in our Bosom to have the through Conviction of the emptinesse of all other Means of relief is requisit to the right use making of Christ's Offering 2. It implyeth this that there be a look had to the Institution and Ordinance of God appointing this Sacrifice to be the Mean of the Redemption of Sinners Therefore in these Sacrifices that were Offered for Sin there was a respect had to Gods Covenant wherein were not only Promises relating to External Cleansing and to Admission to Church-priviledges but Promises also relating to inward Cleansing and to the Pardon of Sin which was the great End of these Sacrifices and the looking to the Institution of this Sacrifice is the Ground that leads us in to take up the end of Christs Sufferings and is a warrand for our Faith in the use making thereof being the only Sacrifice that expiats Sin and holds off Wrath and if these two things be not carried along in the use making of this Sacrifice to wit the Conviction of Sin and of the lyableness to Wrath and Gods Institution and Appointment of this Sacrifice to take away Sin and to avert Wrath our Use making of it is but Will-worship 3. It implyes this that when the Sinner is walking under the sense of his Sin and of the Emptinesse and Ineffectualnesse of all other things to remove Sin and Wrath as David hath it Psal 51.16 Thou desirest not sacrifice thou delightest not in burnt offerings There must be a looking to the Worth of Christ and of His Sacrifice that is appointed to take away Sin and hold off Worth and the Soul 's actuall applying of it self to His Offering and the applying of His Offering to it Self as we may see in the 4 5 6. and 16. Chapters of Leviticus where there are several Sacrifices appointed to be Offered for several Sins and particularly that of the Scape goat on the head whereof the Priest for the People was to lay his hands in which was implyed not only their acknowledgement of Sin and of their deserving of Death and of Gods appointment of that to be a Typical Offering for the Typical taking away of Sin but these two things â—urder were implyed 1. That they did take the Burden of their Sins which neither they themselves nor any other could bear anâ— laid it on Christ when Justice did put at them for their Debt to speak so they drew a Bill on Christ as their Cautioner to answer it and as they did put the Debt in His hand to be payed by Him so they Lippened and Trusted the weight of their Souls to Him and to no other So that when God was pursuing them for their Debt saying as it were
now they bear the image of the heavenly Adam Not that they come up in all things to be exactly like to the Pattern but it is their aim and other things that disconform them to Him are deformed loathsome and ugly in their sight Their old Inclination is burdensome to them And is the continual ground of an inward Contest and Wrestling and in a manner they are troubled at the very heart how to keep down what is opposit to Christ And when their Corruption Over-masters them they are the more discomposed and disquieted They discern something in them that is not like to Christ and they abhor that though it be never so near and dear to them their very Self they see something also like to Christ in them And they Cherish and make much of it they would fain be at more of it and to have His Image more deeply impressed on their Spirits which they reckon their greatest yea their only Beauty The 3. Use is for Direction to Believers if ye be Christ's Seed ye must be other sort of Folks in your Designs and in your Deportment and carriage King's Children ought not to carrie as others It would be highly unsuitable yea even abominable to see them walk so trivially and lightly as every Base Ill-bred Beggers Child doth It 's no less Incongruous and Unbecoming that Believers should be taken with this and that Vanity that meer Worldlings are taken with and hunt after The 4th Use Speaks a Word of Consolation to Believers And holds forth the greatness of the Priviledge of being Christ's Seed It will be much to perswade a Poor Sinner duely sensible of Sin to believe this And that the Lord is in earnest when He speaks thus That such an one who hath betaken Himself to Christ for Life and humbly Claims Right to nothing but by Verture of Christ's Right the main thing that our Union with Him is bottomed upon who is content to be in Christ's Common for Life and goes not about to establish his own Righteousnesse but leans to His Righteousnesse for Life and Salvation should be His Seed and have all the Priviledges of Sons derived to Him And yet it is the Lord 's faithful Word Neither hath Eye seen nor Ear heard nor hath it entered into the Heart of Man to conceive what good things are laid up for such a Person and that are stuffed up in these Expressions of our Relation to Christ Jesus Use 5. It may be also a quieting and comforting Word to some Believers who are in Affliction Poverty and Straits in the World That our Lord Jesus is a Kindly Affectionat Parent more kindly and tender hearted then the tenderest Father or Mother and indeed it may sufficiently quiet them that they have such a kindly Overseer and Provisor who is also a Cordial Sympathizer with them what ever their Condition be He will not deny His Off-spring and Seed whom He laid down His Life to Purchase The 6th Use May be for Incitement and Provocation to all that would be Happy to place it here Interest in Christ Jesus by Believing on Him brings us to have Interest in the enjoying of Him and all that is His and can there be any more sought after or wished for Are there any but would think it a good Life to be here And who are they of whom He speaks so It is not of some sort of strange and uncouth Folk that were once in the World but are now all out of it And of whom there are none now in it It is not such as want Sin and derive their Life from their own Works but it is such as are 1. As considered in themselves dead in Sins and Trespasses and without Spirituall Life and Being And who know that all the pains that they can take will not acquire it And who it may be are quite Dead to their own apprehension and sense oftentimes And who have Judged themselves and have the Sentence of Death in themselves 2. It 's such as look to Him for the obtaining of Life and who acknowledge Him for any Life or Livelinesse they have And who expect it and bruike it by vertue of His Purchase which is that on which all their Plea for Life is founded Now I know that all this will not readily clear some There are so many things that look counterfit like But I am now speaking to them who have some sticklings of Spiritual Life which yet are not so Lively as they can discern them to be the Stirrings and Sticklings of Life And they have a Body of Death in them which is ready to extinguish that Life and often they think it is extinguished already They have Convictions of their own Deadness and that things are wrong in their Condition and are quite out of all Hopes of Righteousness from and by themselves or from any thing that they have done or can do And they have some confused looks to Christ but they cannot Rid their Feet in the Matter of their Faith and Duties go not so with them as they expected and would have them To such I shal speak a Word or two and close 1. I would aâ—â— whence comes that Stickling of Life or Feeling of that Bodie of Death What is the Original of it will Nature discover the Corruption of Nature and bring Folks to be out of Love with Corrupt Nature Certainly where this is it 's not like Nature but is the Life of Christ especially when it puts Folks to discern and take up their own Deadnesse to quit their own Righteousness and to be content to lay their Mouth in the Dust and to betake themselves to the Righteousnesse of Christ if they could win to be distinct in it This looks to be from Christ whose Spirit convinces the World of sin and of the sin of unbelief in particular And of righteousness as being only to be had in Christ and of judgement that is of the reasonablenesse that He should have a Dominion over them and that they should walk in Holinesse Yet notwithstanding of all this they are hanging in a kind of Suspence and hover and know not whether to look on themselves as Believers or not They wot well that it is not right with them that they are lost in themselves and that no other way will do their turn but Faith in the Righteousnesse of a Mediator The thing whereat they Stick and halt is that they know not how to through and maintain the consent that they have given and they cannot think that their Faith is true Faith because they know not how to follow forth the exercise of it though they have renunced their own Righteousnesse And laid their Reckoning to be in Christ's Debt and Common for Righte usnesse and Life if ever they come by them All their difficulty is how to through their Believing Now it is not to the founding of Life that we are here speaking but to the exercise of Life and to the finding out of
that 's the Righteousnesse of Christ by Faith taken hold of by me which Fâ—ith shuts up as it were Paul in that Râ—ghteousnesse and hids him so as he is past over as if there were no unrighteousnesse at all in him The Effâ—ct of this Faith follows when a Person â—s chased and hath fled into and laid hold on Christ the effect I say is he shall be Justified we may consider this several ways and for explication's sake I shall shortly put by some of them 1. Then according to the exposition of the words take this observation That there is such a thing as Justification distinct from Sanctâ—fication That benefit of Justification follows on Faith's taking hold of Christ because it's such a benefit as follows Christ taking on our Sin By his knowledge shall he juâ—tifie many for he shall beâ—â— their iniquities Now Sanctification is not that but the infusing of Holâ—nesse in us and is the work of Gods Spirit inwardly working a change in the man we did some way clear and confirm this in the exposition of the Words and shew you how Sanctification differeth from Justification Now ye are justified now ye are sanctified Sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. Making them distinct benefits To clear it a little further Two things are to be considered in Sin both which are to be removed by Christ but differently 1. Something that defils and polluts us and makes at disconform to Gods Image hence Sin is in the Scripture compared to Boills and Sores and menstruous Cloaths and is called filthiness 2. There is a guiltinesse that follows on this whereby we are not only presupposed unclean but are made lyable to the Laws Certification wherein it 's said Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing written in the book of the law to do it Now if we speak of the removing of these two Justification takes away the guilt of Sin when the Sinner is pursued before God's Tribunal he is discharged by the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse to which he is fled for refuge The Law absolves him not because he wants Sin but because the Mediator hath saâ—isfied for his Sin and that Satisfaction is by Faith laid hold of Sanctification takes away the pollution and blot of Sin the Person that had these Boills and Sores is cleansed or healled or is a healling and under cure for there is no compleat healling while on this side of Heaven As suppone a man by transgressing the Law had wounded himself in wounding or hurting another there is here both a guilt and a deformity a guilt in transgressing the Law by hurting his neighbour and a deformity in wounding himself Justification is as if the penalty of the breach of such a Law were not exacted by the interposing of a Cautioner and Sanctification is like the healling of the Wound in a mans self by taking or application of some Physick or Plaister So is it here Justification sets us free from the guilt and Sanctification cures us of the wound of Sin mans fall was a guilt and by that fall he wounded himself and by Christ boâ—h are removed from the Believer by His Satisfaction He j stifies and by His Grace and Spirit He Sanctifies him Use We observe it only in passing because it serves to clear all that concerns Justification and therefore when we speak of Justification by Christs Righteousâ—esse 1. It 's not as if we had a Righteousnesse communicat to us and were made actuâ—lly holy but it 's the iâ—putation of Christ's Righteousnesse to us the confounding of these two does ill and is very prejudicial not only to Papists but to others who think they are Justified when they think they have some good frame which being wanting they suspect their Justificat on 2. The meaning is not as if Christs Righteousnesse were our Sanctification which is the Error of the Antinomians who make all Sanctification to be Justification even as the Papists make all Justification to be Sanctification therefore we would learn to distinguish these two yet not so as to separat them 2dly Observe That this effect Justification is not only nor mainly the sense of being pardoned and absolved but it 's real absolution and pardon it self because this Justification that follows Faith is that which Christ hath purchased by His Soul-travel and bearing of our iniquities and intitles the Justified Person to Him and makes him to be of His Seed and that is not to have the sense that we are Justified but actually to be Justified And here there is another mistake to be adverted to to think Justification to be the evidence of that which is past before we were born yea from Eternity The Justification here spoken of is that which makes us stand before God is opposit to Works and to the Curse and frees us from it But the sense of Justification is not that whereby we stand before God and is opposit to Works and the Curse and therefore take this Advertisement that Justification is not to be sensible of our Justification but it is really to be so whether we know and be sensible of it or not and that by vertue of Christs Righteousnesse apprehended by Faith The Third and main thiâ—g in this effect is That laying hold on Chrâ—st by Faith as He is offered in the Gospel does before God serve to the Justifying of a Sinner and the absolving of him from the guilt of Sin That is when a Sinner sensible of Sin is brought to lay hold on Christ's Righteousnesse then follows Gods absolving of him as if he had never had Sin or had satisfied for his own Sin which is not only holden out here but is frequently spoken of through the Epistles and is the Justification that stands in opposition to the way of Works to wit when a poor Sinner sensible of Sin is perswaded by Gods Spirit to flee unto and rest upon Christs Righteousnesse offered in the Gospel upon which follows Gods absolving of him This Doctrine takes in the substance of the Text By the knowledge of my righteous servant shall many be justified There are several things that will fall to be cleared in the prosecuting of this which we shall speak to shortly for clearing of that Question of the Catechism what is Justification because this Doctrine holds out the Form of it and deduceth it in this order 1. A Sinner is here supposed to be lying under Gods curse according to that Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the law This is mans condition by nature 2. It is supposed that Christ becomes Cautioner for elect Sinners and takes on their Debt and satisfies for them on condition that if they shall believe on Him they shall be Justified and have His satisfaction imputed to them and that the Lord Jehovah accepts of the Mediators Satisfaction and ingageth to make out the condition 3. The Lord in the Word of the Gospel hath revealed this and hath