Jesus Christ in carrying on our souls Salvation is adding miracle to miracle there is a chain of miracles in the matter of our salvation from first to last As. 1. It was a miracle that God in his Eternity before we had a being should have once thought of us especially that the Blessed Trinity should sit in councel and contrive that most admirable and astonishing plot of the Salvation of our souls Oh what a miracle was this 2. It was a Miracle that God for our sakes should create the world and after our fall in Adam that God should preserve the world especially considering that our sin had unpin'd the whole frame of the Creation and that God even then sitting on his Throne of Judgment ready to pass the doom of death for our first Transgression should unexpectedly give a promise of a Saviour when justly he might have given us to the devil and to Hell according to his own Law Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death 3. It was a Miracle that Gods Son should take upon him our nature and that in our nature he should Transact our peace that he should Preach Salvation to us all if we would believe and to the end that we might believe that he would work so many signs and Miracles in the presence of his Disciples and of a world of men was not Christs Birth a Miracle and Christs Life a Miracle and Christs Death a Miracle and Christs Resurrection a Miracle and Christs Ascension a Miracle was not Christs Ministry a miracle and was it not a miracle that Christs Word should not be credited without a world of miracles to back it and confirm it to the Sons of men 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the miracle as well as mystery of godliness God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into glory 4. It was a Miracle that God should look upon us in our blood what a sight was it for God when thy navel was not cut when thou wast not salted at all Ezek. 16.4.5 6. nor swadled at all when thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person yet that then even then the Lord should pass by thee and see thee polluted in thy own blood and should say unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea say unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live O miracle of mercies If creation cannot be without a miracle surely the new creature is a miracle indeed So contrary is our perverse natures to all possibilities of Salvation that if Salvation had not marched to us all the way in a miracle we should have perished in the ruines of a sad eternity Election is a miracle and Creation is a miracle and Redemption is a miracle and Vocation is a miracle and indeed every man living in the state of grace is a perpetual miracle in such a one his reason is turned into faith his soul into spirit his body iinto a Temple his earth into heaven his water into wine his Aversations from Christ into intimate Union with Christ and Adhesions to Christ O what a Chain of Miracles is this Why Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean say thus you that are yet in your blood why Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean O Lord I believe help thou my unbelief After this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem John 5.39 Some would have this feast to be Pentecost and to speak truly the most of our Commentaries run that way others take this for the feast of the Passover and the rather because the Evangelist John reckons the time of Christs publick Ministry by the several Passovers now if this feast were not a Passover we cannot find in the Gospel so many Passovers as to make up Christs Ministry three years and an half On this ground I joyn with the latter Opinion and so here I end the second year of Christs Ministry and come to the third and to his Actings therein in reference to our souls Salvation CHAP. III. SECT I. Of the third year of Christs Ministry and generally of his Actings in that year HItherto all was quiet neither the Jews nor the Samaritans nor Galileans did as yet malign the Doctrine or Person of Jesus Christ but he preached with much peace on all hands till the beginning of this year I shall not yet speak his sufferings neither shall I speak much of his doings many things were done and spoken this year which I must pass least I be too prolix only such things as refer more principally to the main business of our souls Salvation I shall touch in these particulars As 1. In the Ordination of the Apostles 2. In his Reception of Sinners 3. In the easiness of his yoak and the lightness of his burthen which he imposeth on men SECT II. Of Christs Ordination of his Apostles 1. IN the Ordination of his Apostles are many considerable things the Evangelist Luke layes it down thus Luke 6.12 13. And it came to pass in those dayes that he went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God and when it was day he called unto him his Disciples and of them he Chose Twelve whom also he named Apostles Till now Christ taught alone but because after his Ascension he must needs have a Ministry till the end of the world in the first place he choseth out some whom he would have on purpose to wait upon him all the time of his Ministry till he was taken up into Heaven In this Election or Ordination here is first the person by whom they are Chosen Jesus Christ 2. The place were they are chosen viz. in a mountain 3. The time when they were Chosen after his watching and praying all night and when it was day 4. The company out of whom they were Chosen they where his Disciples and out of them he makes this Election 5. The number of them that were Chosen they were Twelve nor more nor less 6. The end to which they were chosen it was to an Apostleship he Chose Twelve whom he also named Apostles 1. The person by whom they are Chosen is Jesus Christ They Chose not themselves but were chosen of Christ this call was immediate and therefore most excellent but now we look not after such calls and therefore I shall not insist on that only by the way Ministers of the Gospel must be Ministers of Christ either immediately or mediately called 2. The place where they were chosen it was on a mountain mountainous places have their situation nearest to Heaven which shews that they were called to high and heavenly things mountains are open and in view which shews their Ministry must be publick they cannot lye hid in a mountain a City that is set upon a hill
That he should pass by so many on the right hand and on the left and that I should be one whom the Lord did Elect what such a vile and sinful Wretch as I am was there ever like Love was there ever like Mercy may not Heaven and Earth stand amazed at this O what shall I do to be thankful enough to this dear God Thus thou that knowest thy interest in Christ study praise and thankfulness Say in thy self who made me to differ from those Cast-away Souls Alas we were all framed of the same Mould hewed out of the same Rock It is storied of one of the late French Kings that in a serious meditation considering his own condition of being King and Ruler of that Nation Oh said he when I was born a Thousand other Souls were born in this Kingdome with me and what have I done to God more than they O my Soul what difference betwixt thee and those many Thousands of Reprobates that live with thee in the world at this day nothing surely nothing but the free mercy goodness and love of God in Jesus Christ O then praise this God yea sound forth the Praise of the Glory of his Grace Remember that was Gods design and that is thy Duty SECT IX On conforming to Jesus in that Respect 2. WE must Conform to Jesus we must fix our Eyes on Jesus for our Imitation that also is the meaning of this looking in the Text. And in respect of our Predestination the Apostle speaks expresly Rom. 8 29. he did Predestinate us to be conformed to the Image of his Son This is one end of Predestination and this is one end of looking unto Jesus nay it is included in it A very look on Jesus hath a Power in it to conform us to the Image of Jesus 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed by beholding saith the Apostle Oh when I see Gods love in Christ to me even from all Eternity how should this but stir up my Soul to be like Jesus Christ where there is a dependance there is a desire to be like even among men how much more considering my dependance on God in Christ should I desire to be like Christ in disposition all the question is what is this Image of Christ to which we must be conformed I Answer Holiness and Happiness but because the latter is our reward and the former is our duty therefore look to that But wherein consists that I Answer in that resemblance likeness and conformity to Christ in all the passages forementioned And in every of those must we conform to Christ As 1. Christ is the Son of God so must we be Gods Sons As many as received him to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God Joh. 1.12 Mal. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.17 O what duty lies upon us in this respect If I be your Father where is mine Honour and if ye call on the Father pass the time of your sojourning here in fear God looks for more honour fear reverence duty and obedience from a Son than from the Rabble of the World if thou art Gods Son thy sins more offend God then the sins of all the reprobates in the world why alas thy sins are not meer transgressions of the Law but committed against the mercy bounty and goodness of God vouchsafed unto thee thy sins have a world of unthankfulness joyned with them and therefore how should God but visit Amos 3.2 you onely have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore will I visit you for all your Iniquities O think of this you that are Gods Sons and conform to Christ for he was an Obedient Son 2. Christ the Son of God delights in the Father and his delight is also with the Sons of men so must we delight in the Father and delight in his Children Psa 37.4 Psa 16.3 Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thy Heart And the Saints that are on the Earth are they in whom is all my Delight saith David It is storied of Dr. Taylor that being in prison he could delight in God and he rejoyced that ever he came into Prison because of his acquaintance with that Angel of God as he called Mr. Bradford O this is Heaven upon Earth not only God but the very Saints of God are sweet Objects of delight Mark them and if they be Saints indeed they are savory in their Discourse in their Duties in their Carriages their Example is powerful their society profitable how should we but delight in them 3. God and Christ laid this Plot from all Eternity that all he would do should be to the praise of the glory of his Grace So must we purpose this as the end of all our actions whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we must do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 But especially if from God we receive any spiritual good then give all again to the glory of his grace Dan. 2 20 23 Blessed be the Name of God for ever and ever said Daniel for Wisdom and might are his and I thank thee and praise thee O God of my Fathers who hast given me Wisdome and Might an excellent spirit of Wisdome and Might wrought in Daniel and he acknowledges all to the Giver wisdome and might are his Christians if you feel grace in your hearts I beseech you acknowledge it to Christ He does all he subdues Lusts heals VVounds staies inward Issues sets broken Bones and makes them to rejoyce and therefore let him him the glory of all do you acknowledge grace in it's latitude to the God of all grace 4. God and Christ counselled about our Salvation there was a great conflict in the Attributes of God justice and mercy could not be reconciled till the Wisdom of God found out that glorious and wonderful expedient the Lord Jesus Christ so let us Counsel about our Salvation the flesh and the spirit whereof we are compounded draw several wayes the Flesh draws Hell-ward and the Spirit Heaven-ward come then call we in heavenly and spiritual Wisdome to decide this Controversie you may hear its Language in Job 28.28 Job 28.28 Behold the fear of the Lord that is Wisdome and to depart from evil is Vnderstanding If we would draw heaven-ward and save our souls come then let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his Commandments Eccles 12.13 for this is the whole duty of Man Keep his Commandments in an Evangelical sense i look at the expedient Jesus Christ who hath kept them for us and in whom and through whom our imperfect Obedience is accepted with God 5. God and Christ loved us with an everlasting Love So must we love him who hath first loved us this is the nature of spiritual Love that it runs into its own Ocean O love the Lord all ye his Saints who hath more cause to love him then you
make you able Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit He is such a Prophet as teacheth inwardly clearly experimentally and sweetly no man in the world can say this or do this but Jesus Christ the great Prophet of the Church whom God hath raised up like unto Moses or far above Moses Oh my Soul consider if thou art thus taught of God 4. I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their Sins no more Rom. 4.7 Consider of this Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are covered Consider O my soul suppose thy case and thy condition thus As thou livest under Laws of men so for the transgression of those Laws thou art called to account the Judge weighs and gives an impartial and just judgment he Dooms thee to the Axe or Rack or Wheel and because of the aggravation of thy Crime he commands thee to be tortured leisurely that Bones Sinews Lights Joints might be pained for twenty thirty forty fifty years that so much of thy flesh should be cut off every day that such and such a Bone should be broken such and such a day and that by art the flesh should be restored and the Bone cured again that for so many years as is said thou mightest be kept every day dying and yet never die that all this while thou must have no Sleep nor Ease nor Food nor Cloathing convenient for thee that Whips of Iron Lashes and Scourges of Scorpions that Racks Wheels Cauldrons full of melted Lead should be prepared instruments of thy continual horrible terrible Torments in this case suppose a mighty Prince by an Act of free and special Grace should deliver thee from this Pain and Torture and not only so but should give thee a Life in perfect health should put thee into a Paradise of Pleasures where all the honour acclamations love and service of a world of Men and Angels should await thee and where thou shouldst be elivated to the top of all imaginable Happiness above Solomon in the highest Royalty or Adam in his first Innocency where not this mercy wouldest thou not thing it the highest Act of Grace and Love that any creature could extend to his fellow-creature and yet O my Soul all this is nothing but a shadow of grace in comparison of the love and rich grace of God in Christ in the justification of a sinner If thou hast a right to this promise I well forgive thy Iniquity and I will remember thy sin no more Thou art delivered from eternal Death and thou art entitled to an eternal Kingdom O know thy blessedness aright Consider how infinitly thou art engaged to God and Christ and mercy and free-grace This promise sounds forth nothing but grace and blessing grace from God and blessing on us it is grace because nothing but grace and mercy can forgive it is grace because God if he will hath power in his hand to Revenge he doth not pass by sin as men do offences when they dissemble forgiveness they may forgive because they have not power to avenge Dut 32.35 Exod. 36. â—4 it is otherwise with God To me belonges Vengeance and Recompence saith God He is able to destroy and yet he chuseth to forgive this is his Name strong and gracious O my Soul thou art apt to complain what will the Lord forgive my Sins What reason hath God to look on me to Pardon me to pluck me as a firebrand out of the Fire of Hell why should God forgive me But now consider if thy heart be humbled the Lord will do it 1. Because he delighteth in Mercy it is a pleasure to God to forgive Sins Micah 7.18 never did we take more pleasure nor so much pleasure in acting and committing of sin as he doth in the pardoning of sin he is the Father of Mercies 2 Co. 1.3 he delights in mercy as a Father in his Children it doth him good to see the Fruits of his own mercy in taking away the sins of his own people 2. Because it is his purpose which he hath purposed within himself from all Eternity this was the great design of God as you have heard to make his grace glorious in those whom he intends to save he will have the praise of the glory of his Grace Eph. 1.6 2 Thes 1.10 he will not lose his glory he will be admired in his Saints he will make the World to wonder when it shall be known what sin hath been committed by them Rom 9. â—â— and pardoned by him And hence it is that Gods people are called Vessels of Mercy that he might make known the Riches of his Glory on the Vessels of Mercy for as Vessels are or may be filled up to the brims so the Vessels of Mercy shall be filled with Mercy up to the Brim that the Riches of his Glory in the pardon of Sin may be seen and known to the wonder of all the world 3. Because it is his Nature and Inclination to pardon Sin this appears 1. In the Proclaiming of his Name the Lord the Lord Merciful and Gracious Long-suffering Exâ—d 34.6 abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for Thousands forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sin Mat. 11.28 2. In his gracious Invitations Come unto me saith Christ if sin burden you I will ease you 3. In his patience and waiting for Repentance he waits to this very end that he might be gracious Isa 30.18 and that he may have mercy for the Lord is a God of judgment Isa 43.25 4. Because it is his promise to pardon sin I even I am he that blots out thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins This promise of Pardon is one of the great blessings of the Covenant of Grace you hear the words in this very expressure of it Jet 31.34 I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their sins no more Now come consider O my soul of every particular in this gracious Covenant and O be serious in thy Consideration surely there is too much expence of thy spirit upon vain and transitory and worldly things alas alas thou hast but a short time to live and the strength of thy mind that I call for it is the most precious thing thou hast O then let the business and activeness of thy mind let thy inmost thoughts and deep affections be acted and exercised on this Subject be careful that none of these waters run besides the Mill. If God and Jesus and all thy good be included here why should not thy whole soul be intent on this Why shouldst thou spend it on the Creature why shouldst thou be so subject to carnal griefs and fears surely all these are fitter to be fixed on God in Christ on Jesus in a Covenant of Grace SECT III. Of Desiring Jesus in that respect 3. WE must desire after Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation in a way of
the flames of God and do we not yet love him hath Christ all this while opened his brest and heart to us saying Friends Doves come in and dwell in the holes of this rock And do we scratch his brest do we turn our backs upon him and requite his love with hatred surely this is more than sin for what is sin but a transgression of the law but this sin is both a transgression of Law and Gospel What to spurn against the warm bowels of love to spit on grace to disdain him who is the white and ruddy the fairest of Heaven Oh the aggravation of this sin ' its an heart of flint and adamant that spits at Evangelick love Law-love is love but Evangelick love is more than love it s the gold the flower of Christ's wheat and of his finest love Oh the many Gospel-passages of love that we have heard Oh the sweet streams of love that we have followed till now that we are come to a Sea of love to an heaven of love to an infinite eternal everlasting love in heaven I want words to express this love of Jesus a Sea of love is nothing it hath a bottom an Heaven of love is nothing it hath a brim but infinite eternal everlasting love hath no bottom no brim no bounds and do we not yet love him do we not yet feel the fire of love break forth if not it is time to turn our Preaching into Praying O thou who art the Element or Sun of love come with thy power let out â—ne beam one ray one gleam of love upon my soul shine hot upon my heart cast my soul into a love-transe remember thy promise to circumcise my heart Deut 30.6 that I may love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul Surely the great Marriage of the Lamb is coming on he will come and welcome all his Saints into his presence he will bid them inherite the Kingdom and put them in a possession of the inheritance and then we cannot choose but love our Jesus with all our hearts and with all our souls onely begin we it here let us now be sick of love that we may then be well with love let us now rub and chase our hearts our dead cold hearts before this fire till we say with Peter Why Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee SECT VII Of joying in Jesus in that respect 7. LET us joy in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his second coming Christ delights to have his People look upon him with delight for a soul to be always under a spirit of bondage and so to look upon Christ as a Judge a Lyon or an offended God it doth not please God the Lord Jesus is tender of the joy of his Saints Rejoyce and be exceeding glad saith Christ rejoyce evermore rejoyce in the Lord alwayes Mat. 5.12 1 Thes 5.16 Phil. 4.4 Psal 68.3 and again I say rejoyce Let the righteous be glad let them rejoyce before God yea let them exceedingly rejoyce All that Christ doth to his Saints tends to this joy as the upshot or end of all if he cast down it is but to raise them up if he humble it is but to exalt if he kill it is but to make alive in every dispensation still he hath a tender care to preserve their joy This is the Benjamin about which Christ's bowels beat Let my Children suffer any thing but nothing in their joy I would have all that love my Name to be joyfall in me Oh say some but Christ's day is a terrible day when Christ appears he will make the Heavens and Earth and Hell to shake and tremble Our God shall come and shall not keep silence Psal 50.3 a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him True but what 's all this terror but an argument of my Father's power and justice against sinners if thou art Christ's and hast thy part in him not one jot of all this terror belongs to thee The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished 2 Pet. 2.9 He knows how to make the same day a terror to his foes and a joy to his people he ever intended it for the great distinguishing and separating day wherein both joy and sorrow should be manifested to the highest O then let the heavens rejoyce the sea the earth the floods the hills for the Lord cometh to Judge the earth Psal 97.7 8 9. with righteousness shall he judge the World and the people with equity If you find it an hard thing to joy in Jesus as in reference to his second coming think of these motives 1. Christ's coming is the Christians encouragement so Christ himself layes it down You shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory and when these things begin to come to pass Luk. 21.27 28. then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh The signs of his coming are the hopes of your approaching introduction into glory and what should you do then but prepare for your approaching with exceeding joy many evils do now surround you every where Satan hath his snares and the World his baits and your own hearts are apt to betray you into your enemies hands but when Christ comes you shall have full deliverance and perfect redemption and therefore look up and lift up your heads The Apostle speaks the very same encouragement 1 Thes 4.16 71 18. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air wherefore comfort one another with these words Christ's coming is a comfortable doctrine to all believers and therefore all the Elect that hear these words should be comforted by them Comfort ye comfort ye my people 2. Christ our Saviour must be our Judge the same Jesus that was born for us and lived for us and dyed for us and doth now pray for us will come at last to judge us is not this comfortable you that have heard all his transactions can you ever foget the unweariness of Christ's love in his constant and continual actings for your souls how long hath he been interceding for his Saints how long hath he been knocking at their hearts for entrance it is now above a thousand six hundred years that he hath been praying and knocking and he resolves not to give over till all be his till all the Tribes in ones and twos be over Jordan and up with him in the heavenly Canaan And if this be he that must be our Judge if he that loves our
Thy Heritage Thou retainest not Thy Anger for ever Jer. because Thou delightest in Mercy And I am the Lord which exercise Loving-Kindness Judgment Righteousness in the Earth for in thâ—se things I delight saith the Lord. 2. Because of that Delight which God hath to be actively glorified by His Creatures voluntary Service and Subjection John 10.18 Ezek. 33.11 Herein is My Father glorified if ye bear much Fruit and I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked but that he turn from his Way and live He delighteth most in unbloody Conquests when by His Patience and Goodness and Forbearance He subdueth the Hearts Affections and Consciencâ—s of Men unto Himself He esteemeth Himself more glorified in the Services than in the Sufferings of Men and therefore in this Eternity he resolves not to destroy all Men lest there should be no Religion upon the Earth When the Angels fell they fell not all many were still left to glorify Him actively in their Service of Him but when Adam fell all Mankind fell in him so that there was no Tree in all this Paradise lest to bring forth any Fruit unto God And this is most certain that God would rather have His Trees for Fruit than for Fewel Hence He resolves that Mankind notwithstanding Sin should not be utterly destroyed Hereupon the Trinity calls a Counsel and the Question is What is to be done with poor Man The Learned here frame a kind of Conflict in God's holy Attributes by a Liberty which the Holy-Ghost from the Language of Holy Scripture doth allow them they speak of God after the manner of Men as if he were reduced unto some Straits and Difficulties by the cross Demands of His several Attributes Justice calls upon Him for the Condemnation of a Sinful and therefore worthily Accursed Creature which Demand is seconded by His Truth to make good that Threatning In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the Death Mercy on the other side pleads for Favour and Compassion towards Man wofully seduced and overthrown by Satan and this Plea is seconded by Love and Goodness and the like Attributes at last when the Business comes to Determination Wisdom finds out a way which the Angels of Heaven gaze on with Admiration Astonishment how to reconcile these different Pleas of his Attributes together A Jesus is resolved on One of the same Blessed Trinity who by His Father's Ordination His own voluntary Susception and the Holy Spirits Sanctification should be fitted for the Business To this purpose this Jesus should be both a Surety and an Head over sinful Men a Surety to pay Mens Debts unto God and an Head to restore God's Image unto Man And thus in Him Mercy and Truth have met together Righteousness and Peace have Kissed each other Psal 83.10 This is the great Mistery of the Gospel this is that which the Angels as I tell you pry into nay this is that which the Angels and Saints too shall admire and bless God for to all Eternity this is that which set the infinit Wisdome of God on work from all Eternity If all the Angels in Heaven and all the Men in the World had been put to it to find out a way to answer this question how shall sin be pardoned the sinner reconciled and God glorify his justice they could never have done it this cost God dear it cost him the heart-blood of his own Son and that 's a sure sign that Gods heart was much in it and indeed we are not Christians until in some measure we see and have our hearts taken with the glory of God in this mistery O the wonder of Heaven and Earth here 's the case man is fallen through sin and ever since the fall man and sin are as inseparably joyned together as fire and heat yet God will have mercy on the man and he will take vengeance on the sin the Eternal Wisdome of God hath found out a way to translate this mans sins on another Person who is able to bear them and to interest this mans person in anothers Righteousness which is able to cover him so that now all 's one in regard of man as if the Law had been utterly abrogated and all 's one too in regard of God as if the creature had been utterly condemned And all this is done in our Jesus on him was executed the curse of the Law by him was fulfilled the righteousness of the Law for him was remitted the sin of man and through him were all things made new again the world was in Christ as in its Surety making satisfaction to the Justice of God and God was in Christ as in his Embassadour Rom. 11.33 reconciling the world unto himself again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depths of the riches both of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out You have seen the Project and the counsels of God for mans salvation before all worlds Rom. 11.34 it is but dimly for who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellour SECT VI. The foreknowledge OF the knowledge of God in this respect we read in Scriptures Acts 2.23 Rom. 8.29 Rom. 11.2 1 Pet. 1.2 Christ is said to be delivered by the determinate Counsel and foreknowledg of God And it is said of Christs members the called according to his purpose whom he did foreknow and elsewhere in the same Epistle God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew And Peter writes to the strangers Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father Understand that foreknowledge is ascribed to God in respect of the creature properly but in respect of God there is nothing past nothing to come all things past and all things to come are present to him and therefore in that sense he cannot be said to foreknow any thing Now the Lord in respect of us is said in Scripture to foreknow things or persons two wayes Psal 139.16 1. Generally by a general knowledge of which Davids speaks thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them 2. Specially by a more special foreknowledge which is a knowledge with love and approbation the very same which barely comprehendeth that we call Election Rom. 9.13 2 Tim. 2.19 Rom. 11.2 so Gods choosing is expressed by loving Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated And this is that which the Apostle speaks of the Lord knoweth who are his i.e. the Lord from everlasting knoweth his with love and with approbation hath God cast away his people which he foreknew i. which he before loved and approved hence we gather that after the Project was laid and the Councels of God were agreed upon it then God foreknew or foresaw whom to embrace in his eternal love as his own
have who hath been loved so much or who hath so much come under the power of love as you have Ps 31.23 hath not Christ loved you not only with a love of well-wishing which is from everlasting some call it the love of Election the fountain-love the well-head of salvation but also with a love of complacency hath not Christ shed abroad his love into your hearts and shall he lose by it will not these cords of love draw up your hearts to love him again sure it 's but reason to love him who hath first loved you yea and loved you when you were unlovely and had nothing in you worthy of love Christians then it was that Christ loved you in rags it is meet therefore that you should love him in Robes 6. God and Christ appointed or purposed us unto salvation his love was a sure and setled and firme and constant love the purpose of God according to Election must stand Rom. 9.11 Ps 119 112. So must we love him and cleave unto him for ever I have enclined my heart to perform thy Statutes alwayes even to the end Davids heart was much taken with the Statutes of God and therefore he gives this expression of the fulness of his heart alway and even to the end it is a kind of pleonasme his resolutions were such that he would never depart from his God 7. God and Christ decreed booked and sealed our salvation and so must we put to our seal that God is true i. we must believe in Christ for when we believe we make Christs word good He that believes not makes God a lyar as you have heard in that he frustrates or endeavors to frustrate Christs undertaking in his predestination 8. God and Christ entered into Covenant concerning our salvation So must we enter into Covenant with him we must take him to be our God and give up our selves to be his people Why thus we must in all particulars conform to Christ The sum of all is this we must be like Christ in grace and gracious actings O my soul see to this grace see to this conformity to Jesus Christ in gracious actings and this will enable thee to read thy name written in the Book of Life O abhor repel that Devils dart I am predestinated and therefore I may live as I list how contrary is this to the Apostle Eph. 1.4 he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love and as the Elect of God put on bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forgiving one another Even as Christ forgave you this conformity to Christ in grace is the very effect of our predestination Colos 3 12 13. Ps 45 21 O look unto Jesus and be in grace like unto Jesus why Christ is full of grace a vessel filled up to the lip or very brim thou art fairer than the children of men and grace is poured into thy lips Christ was as it were grace speaking Luk 4.22 Grace sighing weeping dying Heb. 2.9 Grace living again and now dropping or rather raining down floods of grace on his living members Ephes 4.11 Christ is the great Apple-tree dropping down Apples of Life Cant. 2.3 and all that falls from this tree as apples leaves shadows smell blossomes are but pieces of grace fallen down from him who is the fulness of all Cant. 2.1 and hath filled all things Christ is the rose of Sharon and every leaf of this rose is an Heaven every white and red in it is grace and glory every act of breathing out it's smell from everlasting to everlasting is Spotless and unmixed grace why then my soul if thou wilt conform to Christ conform in this Be holy as he is holy John 1.16 of that fulness of grace that is in him do thou receive even grace for grace Christians where are we O that ever men should hear of so much grace and of such acts of grace in that eternity before all worlds and yet no impression of grace upon their hearts O that God and Christ should both be in that business of Eternity that heaven hell justice mercy souls and deep wisdome should be all in that rare piece and yet that men should think more of a Farme an Ox an house a pin a straw or of the bones of a crazy livelihood O look up look up if thou art Christs Consider what he hath done for thy soul why thou art predestinate to be conformed to the Image of Christ Thus far we have Looked on Jesus as our Jesus in that Eternity before all time untill the creation Our next work is to Look on Jesus carrying on the great work of mans salvation in the Creation the beginning of time untill his first coming LOOKING UNTO JESUS From the Creation until his first coming The Third Book Revel 1.8 11. The Lord will give thee for a Covenant of the People Hear ye deaf and look ye blind that ye may see CHAP. I. SECT I. Of Christ Promised by degrees IN this period as in the former we shall first lay down the Object and then direct you how to look upon it The Object is Jesus carrying on the work of mans salvation in that dark time before his coming in the flesh No sooner is the world made the things therein but man was created that way might be made for God to shew his grace in the salvation of his Elect. And now was it that Gods eternal project and counsel fore-knowledge and purpose and decree and Covenant with Christ was to come into execution Indeed at the first there was no need of Christ for man at first was made in holiness the image of God and to bear rule over the rest of the visible creatures though this his state was but of a little standing It was the received opinion in in former times that our first parents fell the very same day in which they were created Augustine amongst the rest writes that they stood but six hours but though we cannot describe the certain time very probable it is that it was but short This we finde that Moses having set down the creation of man without the interposition of any thing else he comes immediatly to the fall and the Devil no doubt took the first occasion he possibly could to bring man to the same damnation with himself Well then long it was not but Adam by his sin deprived himself and all his posterity of the image of God All mankind was in his loynes so by the order and appointment of God all mankind partake with him in the guilt of his sins Hence is the daily continual cry not only of Adam Abraham David Paul but of every Saint O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death But sweet souls stay your complaints here 's Gospel-news In this sad hour of temptation God
with Oyl Olive and Honey Thus the Lord shewed the Jews these principal Mysteries not in themselves but in Types and Shadows as they were able to see them from day to day But in the new Covenant Christ is offered to be seen in a fuller view the Truth and Substance and body of the things themselves is now exhibited Christ is clearly Revealed without any Type at all to be our Wisdom 2 Cor. 1.30 Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 7. In the number of them that partake of the Covenant at first the Covenant was included in the Families of the Patriarchs and then within the Confines of Judea but now is the partition Wall betwixt Jew and Gentile broken down Rom. 3.29 and the Covenant of Grace is made with all Nations He is the God of the Gentiles also and not of the Jews only Christians here comes in our happiness Oh how thankful should we be that our Fathers for many Hundreds and Thousands of years together should sit in darkness and that we should partake of this Grace What that we that were Dogs before should now be set at the Childrens Table Acts 11.18 The very Jews themselves hearing of this are said to glorify God When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life If they praised God for it how much more should we do it our selves But of that hereafter I have now propounded the Object we are to look unto it is Jesus as held forth in a way of Promise or Covenant in that dark time from the Creation till his first coming in the Flesh Our next Business is to direct you in the Art or Mystery of Grace how you are to look to Him in this respect CHAP. II. SECT Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation from the Creation until his first Coming LOoking comprehends knowing considering desiring c. as you have heard and accordingly that we may practise 1. We must know Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation in the beginning and from the beginning of the World Come let us learn what he did for us so early in the morning of this World He made it for us and he made us more especially for his own Glory but presently after we were made we sinned and marred the Image wherein God made us this was the saddest Act that ever was it was the undoing of man and without the mercy of God the damning of all Souls both of men and women to all Eternity and O my Soul know this for thy self thou wast in the loins of Adam at that same time so that what he did thou didst thou wast partaker of his Sins and thou wast to partake with him in his punishment but well maist thou say Blessed be God for Jesus Christ at the very instant when all should have been damned Christ intervened a Covenant of Grace is made with man and Christ is the Foundation in and through whom we must be reconciled unto God Come soul and study this Covenant of grace in reference to thy self had not this been where hadst thou been nay where had all the World been at this day Surely it concerns thee to take notice of this great Transaction After man had fallen by Sin Christ is promised that all the Saints might partake of Christ a Covenant is entred this at the beginning of the World was more dim but the nearer to Christs coming in the Flesh the more and more clearly it appeared Howsoever dimly or clearly thus it pleased God in Christ to carry on the great work of our Salvation at that time viz. by a Promise of Christ and by a Covenant in Christ and for thy better knowledge of it study the Promise made to Adam and Abraham and Moses and David and Israel Come Soul study these several breakings out of the Covenant of Grace Col. 1.26 it is worth thy pains it is a Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations but now is made manifest to the Saints Here lies the first and most firm Foundation of a Christians comfort if thou canst but study this and assure thy self of thy part in this thou art blessed for ever O how incomparably sweet and satisfying is it to a self-studying Christian to know the faithful engagements of the Almighty God through that Son of his Loves in a Covenant of Grace SECT II. Of Considering Jesus in that Respect 2. WE must consider Jesus carrying on the the great work of our Salvation in that dark time it is not enough to study it and know it but we must seriously muse and meditate and ponder and consider of it till we bring it to some profitable Issue This is the Consideration I mean when we hold our thoughts to this or that spiritual subject till we perceive success and the work do thrive and prosper in our hands Now to help us in this Gen. 3.15 1. Consider Jesus in the first Promise made to man It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel When all men were under guilt of sin and in the power of Satan and when thou my Soul wert in as bad a case as any other then to hear the sound of this glad tidings then to hear of Jesus a Saviour and Redeemer sure this was welcome News Come draw the case nearer to thy self thou wast in Adams Loins suppose thou hadst been in Adams stead Gen. 3.8 9 â— suppose thou hadst heard the Voice of the Lord walking in the Garding suppose thou hadst heard him call Adam where art thou Peter Andrew Thomas where art thou What hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat Why then Appear and come to judgment the Law is irrevocable Gen. 2.17 in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die there is nothing to be looked for but death temporal and death spiritual and death eternal O what a fearful condition is this no sooner to come into the world but presently to be turned over into Hell for one day to be Monarch of the World and of all Creatures in the world and the very next day to be a slave of Satan and to be bound hand and foot in a darksome dungeon for a few hours to live in Eden to enjoy every tree in the Garden Pleasant to the sight and good for food and then to enter into the confines of eternity and ever ever ever to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels Gen. 3.8 It is no wonder if Adam hid himself from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the Garden O my soul in that case thou would'st have cried to the Rocks Rev. 6.16.17 and to the Mountains fall on me and hide me from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne If God be angry who may abide it When the great day
these words we find first a meeting of Gods blessed Attributes and secondly this meeting at a birth the birth of Truth at which meeting thirdly was that glorious effect that Righteousness looked down and indeed came down from Heaven I desire a little to invert the words and shall first speak to Christs Birth secondly to the effects of his Birth of Righteousness looking down from Heaven thirdly to the meeting and agreement of all Gods Attributes as the issue and effect of all When Mercy and Truth met together and Righteousness and Peace kissed each other 1. For his Birth our Vine doth Bud Truth shall Bud out of the Earth i. Christ shall be born upon the Earth or Christ shall be born of a Woman for Truth is Christ Bud is born and the Earth is a Woman 1. Truth is Christ I am the Way and Truth John 1.4 6 said Christ he is the truth of all Types and the truth of all Prophesies and the truth of all promises for in him are all the Promises Yea and Amen 2. Bud is born the Vine budding is the first putting forth of the Grape so Christ being born was Truth budding out of the Earth he then first shewed himself to the World and was first seen like the Vine springing forth above ground 3. The Earth is the Woman Isa 45.8 thus some render that Text Let the Earth bring forth a Saviour look how the Field-flowers spring forth of themselves without any Seed cast in by the hand of Man so the Virgin brings forth Christ It is observable that in the Creation of Adam was laid the Prognosticks of this future birth begin with the first Man Adam and you may see him parallell'd in this second Adam Christ Adam was created of the Virgin-Earth Christ was born of a Virgin-Mother the Earth had no Husbandman yet brought forth without Seed Mary had no Husband yet brought forth without Seed of Man in the Creation God said Let us make Man and now saith the Holy Ghost the Word is made flesh Gen. 1.26 John 1.14 or the Word is Man indeed those were but Types but Christ is the Truth he is the Vine that Buds the Messias born the Angels own him the Star designes him the Prophets foreshew him the Devils confess him his Miracles declare him the Sages seek him and Heaven and Earth Rings with the News that Truth is Budded out of the Earth 2. For the effect of this Birth Righteousness shall look down from Heaven No sooner Christ born but Righteousness looked down from Heaven she cast her eye upon Earth and seeing Truth freshly sprung there she looked and looked again certainly it was a sight to draw all the eyes of Heaven to it It is said of the Angels that they desired to look into these things they looked wishly at them 1 Pet. 1 12â— as if they would look through them no question but Righteousness looked as narrowly and piercingly as the Angels Some observe that the Hebrew word she looked down signifies that she beat out a window so desirous was Righteousness to behold the sight of the Vine Budding of Christ being born that she beats out a Window in Heaven before this time she would not so much as look down towards the Earth Righteousness had no prospect no window open this way she turned away her eyes and clapt to the Casement and would not abide so much as to look on such sinful wretches forlorn sinners as we are her eye was purer than to behold Iniquity she abhorred it and us for it and therefore would not vouchsafe us once to cast off her eye O but now the case is altered no sooner doth our Vine Bud upon the Earth but she is willing to condescend and so willing that she breaks a Window through the Walls of Heaven to look down upon this Bud and nomarvail for what could Righteousness desire to see and satifie her self in that was not to be seen in Jesus Christ He was all righteous there was not the least spot of sin to be found in him his Birth was clean and his Life was holy and his Death was innocent both his Soul and Body were without all sin both his Spirit and his Mouth were without all guile whatsoever satisfaction Righteousness would have she might have it in him lay Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Balance and there is nothing in Jesus but Streight for the Line and full Weight for the Balance 3. For the meeting and agreement of all Gods Attributes as the issue and the least effect of this budding Vine the Verse before tells us that Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other This meeting presupposeth a distance before they met for they that meet come from divers coasts Here then are two things considerable first the distance and secondly the meeting But you will say how came this distance Are they not all the Attributes of Gods undivided essence are they not all four in the bosom of God from all eternity I answer Yes they are undivided in themselves but they were divided about us it was Adam's sin and ours in him that first divided Heaven yea the very Attributes of God and in a sort God himself I shall speak to both these that you may first see the Differences and then the Agreement and blessed Harmony of these glorious Attributes 1. The Difference immediately after the Fall the great question which before you heard of in the Decree and Councils of God was actually propounded What should be done with sinful Man in this case we must speak of God after the manner of men and I hope you will give me the liberty that others I suppose warrantably take Come saith God What shall be done with sinful Man He hath violated my Law broken my Command and as much as lies in him unpinn'd the Fabrick of the World spoiled my Glorious Work of Heaven and Earth and Sea and all therein undone himself for ever and ever and ever O what shall be done with this sinful rebellious forlorn unhappy Creature Man Silence being a while in Heaven and all struck into amaze to see the great God of Heaven stirred up in wrath at last Mercy and Peace stand up and they seek with sweet gentle intreaties to pacifie Gods Anger but Righteousness and Truth are on the contrary side and they provoke God Almighty to go on and to manifest himself as he is indeed a consuming Fire a sin-revenging God The Plea is drawn up and reported at large by Bernard Andrews and others 1. Mercy began for out of her readiness to do good she is ever formost her inclination is to pitty or rather she her self is an inclination to pity those that are in misery and if she can but relieve them let them deserve what they will be sure she will relieve them for she looks not to the party what he is nor what he hath done nor what he he
not Christ come down sinners could not have gone up into Heaven and therefore that they might ascend he descends 2. I come down from Heaven not to do mine own will Heb. 3.1 2. but the will of him that sent me his Father had sent him on purpose to receive and to save sinners and to this purpose he is called the Apostle of our profession who was faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful in all his house His Father could not send him on any errand but he was sure to do it his Fathers mission was a strong demonstration that Christ was willing to receive those sinners that would but come to him Again Jesus stood and cryed saying if any man thirst John 7.37 let him come unto me and drink the very pith heart and marrow of the Gospel is contained in these words the occasion of them was thus on that last day of the Feast of Tabernacles the Jews were wont with great solemnity to draw water out of the fountain of Siloam at the foot of Mount Sion and to bring it to the Altar singing out of Isaiah Isa 12.3 With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation now Christ takes them at this Custom and recalls them from earthly to heavenly waters alluding to that of Isaiah Isa 55.1 3. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Incline your ears and come unto me and your souls shall live The Father saith come the Son saith come the Spirit saith come yea Rev. 22.17 the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him drink of the water of life freely All the time of Christs Ministry we see him tyring himself in going about from place to place upon no other errand than this to cry at the markets Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters if any sinners love life if any will go to heaven let them come to me and I will shew them the way to my Fathers bosom and endear them to my Fathers heart Again hither tend all those Arguments of God and Christ to draw souls to themselves Thus God draws 1. From his equity Hear now O house of Israel Ezek. 18.25 is not my way equal or are not your wayes unequal q. d. I appeal to your very consciences is this equal that sinners should go on in sin and Trespass against him that is so willing to receive and save poor sinners 2. From our ruine in case we go on in sin Ezek. 18.31 Cast away from you all your Transgressions whereby ye have Transgressed and make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye dye O house of Israel 3. From his own dislike and displeasure at our ruine I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth Ver. 32. saith the Lord God wherefore turn your souls and live ye 4. From his mercy and readiness to pardon sinners Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Hos 14.4 John 3.16 5. From the freeness of his love I will love them freely and God so loved the world so fully so fatherly so freely that he gave his only begotten Son c. and I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely 6. From the sweetness of his Name Rev. 21.6 Exod. 34.6 7. Isa 48.18 19. The Lord the Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity Transgression and sin 7. From the benefits that would follow O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments then had thy peace been as a River and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea thy seed also had been as the Sand and the off-spring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof 8. From his Oath As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live O happy creatures saith Tertullian for whom God swears O unbelieving wretches if we will not trust God swearing Ezek. 33.61 Ezek. 33.11 Mich. 6.3 Isa 5.4 Isa 5.3 9. From his expostulations Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel O my people what have I done to thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me what could I have done more for my vineyard than I have done wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes Mich. 6.2 10. From his appeals Judge now O ye inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem and hear O ye mountains the Lords controversie and ye strong foundations of the earth Deut. 5.29 for the Lord hath a controversie with his people and he will plead with Israel 11. From his groans Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep my commandments alwayes Deut. 32.29 that it might be well with them and their children for ever And oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end 12. Hos 11.8 From his loathness to give men up How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee O Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim my heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together O the goodness of God! And as God the Father so God the Son draws Arguments to win souls to himself 1. From his coming it was the very purpose and design of his coming down from Heaven to receive sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying sayes Paul and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 2. From his fair demeanour and behaviour towards sinners this was so open and notorious that it was turned to his disgrace and opprobry Mat. 11.19 Behold a friend of Publicans and sinners And the Scribes and Pharisees murmured at him Luke 5.30 and his Disciples saying Why do ye eat and drink with Publicans and Sinners 3. From his owning of sinners and answering for them in this respect Luke 5.31 32. And Jesus answering said unto them they that are whole need not a Physitian but they that are sick I came not to call the righteous but Sinners to repentance 4. From his rejoycing at sinners conversion indeed we never read of Christs Laughter and we seldom read of Christs joy but when it is at any time recorded it is at the Conversion of a poor soul he had little else to comfort himself in being a man of sorrows but in this he rejoyced exceedingly Luke 10.21 In that hour Jesus rejoyced in Spirit
free 3. Christian Religion is all composed of peace her wayes are the wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Prov 17.3 Christ framed all his Laws in complyance of this design of peace peace within and peace at home and peace abroad 1. It holds forth a certain Heavenly peace and tranquility within Psal 119.165 Isa 57.20 21. Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing shall offend them But on the contrary The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Psal 55.9 their passions were never yet mortified and such passions usually range in wicked men as are most contrary and demand contrary thimgs the desire of honour cries spend here but the passion of avarice cries hold thy hands lost cries venture here but pride saith no such thing it may turn to thy dishonor anger cries revenge thy self here but ambition sayes it 's better to dissemble And here is fulfilled that of the Psalmist I have seen violence and strife in the City the vulgar renders it I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the self-same City First Iniquity for all the demands of these passions are unjust And 2. Contradiction for one passion cries out against another But now great peace have they that love thy Law for by the aid of Christ and his Grace their passions are in some sort subdued and they pass on their life most sweetly and calmly without any perturbations much troubling their Spirits they have that Peace which passeth all understanding which the World can neither give nor taste of as Christ affirmeth John 14.27 2. It holds forth peace at home the Laws of Jesus teach us how to bear with the infirmitives of our Relatives and indeed whosoever obeys the Laws of Jesus Christ he seeks with sweetness to remedy all differences he throws water upon a spark he lives sweetly with his Wife affectionately with his Children descreetly with his Servants and they all look upon him as their Guardian Friend and Patron but look upon an angry man not subject to these Christian Laws and when he enters upon his threshold it it gives an alarm to his house every little accident is the matter of a quarrel and every quarrel discomposes the peace of the house and sets it on fire and no man can tell how far it may burn O the sweetness easiness pleasantness of Christian Religion where that is embraced and followed the man is peaceable and charitable and just and loving and forbearing and forgiving and how should there be but content in this blessed Family 3. It holds out peace abroad it commands all Offices of kindness gentleness love meekness humility lowliness of mind towards others and such sweet dispositions are usually received with fondness and all the endearments of the neighbourhood it prescribes an austere and yet a sweet deportment it commands all those labours of love as to relieve the stranger to visit the sick to wash the feet of the poor it sends us upon charitable embassies to unclean prisons nasty dungeons and in the cause of Christ to lay down our lives one for another it teacheth us how to return good for evil kindness for injuries a soft answer for the rough words of an Enemy Oh when I think of this I cannot but think of him who said That either that this was not the Christian Religion or we were not Christians For my part I am easily perswaded that if we would but live according to the discipline of Christian Religion one of those great plagues that vexeth the world I mean the plague of war would be no more certainly this was one of the designs of Christianity that there should be no wars no jars no discontents amongst men and if all men that are called Christians were indeed charitable peaceable just loving forbearing one another and forgiving one another what sweet peace should we have how would this world be an Image of Heaven and of the society of Saints and Angels above in Glory 4. Christian Religion affords to us all assistances both outward and inward In some respects I know the duties of Christianity are hard and heavy but whatsoever Christ hath imposed as heavy and hard he hath made it light in aids I shall shew the helps in these particulars As 1. The holy Scriptures be our helps this was the very scope and aim for which the sacred Volume was sent from Heaven viz. that we might decline from evil and do good that we might die to old Adam and live to Christ that we might crucifie sin and follow Virtue what are the Scriptures but the Registers of God's Will the letters of God's Love to invite us to Grace and to dehort us from vice O the perswasion directions and commands of God that we might become holy and O the disswasions diversions threatnings and terrifying of God that we might fly prophaneness 2. The Ministers of Christ be our helps thou hast the Scriptures but it may be thou canst not read or thou canst not understand the sence and meaning thereof Christ therefore for thy help hath set up a ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ Eph. 4.12 These are the watchmen over the house of Israel to cry like trumpets and to blazon the sins of the house of Israel these are the suitors of God and Christ to speak out his good will in thine ears 2 Cor. 5.20 they call they cry they wait they woo they Pray you in Christs stead that you will be reconciled unto God 3. The lives of Saints be our helps we have not only Teachers in word but the Saints in all Ages as so many Stars have given us light how to walk in the darkness of this life The examples of the godly are very drawing and much for our imitation and therefore the Psalmist bids us Mark the perfect man and behold the upright Psal 37.37 for the end of that man is peace O it 's a blessed help to a Christan life to read over much more to mark and observe the holy and godly lives of the Saints of God how doth their Zeal condemn our coldness their diligence our negligence their watching and prayer our sluggishness and indevotion And how are they as spurs to quicken us forwards in our spiritual voyage towards Heaven 4. Christs Ordinances be our helpers as the Word and Sacraments and Prayer and Meditation and Conference c. What are they but Fountains of grace conduits and conveyances of the blood of Christ To what end were they instituted but for the watering of our souls to the encrease of grace and to the supplanting of sin and vice and all manner of evil 5. The encouragements of reward be our helps Now in the practise of Christian Religion there is a double reward 1. The reward of duty Psal 19.11 In the keeping of thy Commandments there is
the troubles of the righteous Psal 34.19 The very word Cedron which signifies darkness denotes this state an horror of great darkness was said to fall on Abraham and then said God Gen. 15.12 13 know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred years As God made the evening and the morning the first day and second day and third day c. See O the life of Gods Saints is as the evening of troubles and their happiness hereafter is as the morning of Glory God's worst is first with those that are his the way to Canaan is through the wilderness the way to Sion is through the valley of Baca. Through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God Psal 84.6 Acts 14.22 John 16.33 2 Tim. 3.12 In the world ye shall have tribulation saith Christ yea all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution saith the Apostle Our rest is not here in this world what is this world but an Ark of travel a school of vanities a fear of deceits a Labarinth of errour a barren wilderness a strong field a tempestous sea a swelling brook a vale of tears full of all miseries 2. It reproves It is the first passage of Christ when he begins his sufferings to go over the Brook Cedron and it is the A B C of Christianity as Bradford said to learn the Lesson of taking up the Cross and following Christ Surely this world is no place and this life it is no time for pleasure God hath not cast man out of Paradise that he should find another Paradise on this side heaven Oh why do we seek the living among the dead Why do we seek for living comforts where we must expect to die daily it is only heaven that is above all winds and storms and tempests and seas and brooks and waves Oh why do we look for joyes in a vale of tears It was an heavy charge that the Apostle James laid upon some that they lived in pleasure upon earth q. d. Earth is not the place for pleasure earth is the place of sorrow of trouble of mourning Jam. 5.5 of affliction Remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things Luke 16.25 and Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art Tormented All the pleasure that wicked men have it is upon earth but the condition of the godly is clean contrary Oh 't is sad to out-live our happiness and when we should live indeed then to want our comforts and our joyes Verily I say unto you they have their reward Mat. 6.2 Job 21.13 said Christ of Hypocrites their Heaven is past they spend their daies in wealth or in mirth saith Job of the wicked and in a moment go down to the Grave Alas their best daies are then past and they must never be merry any more Ah fond Fools of Adam's seed to lose Heaven for a little earthly contentment How should this sowr your carnal joyes when you remember all this is only upon earth it cannot be for ever there must be a change of all these things here you laugh and hereafter you must howl no sooner death comes but then you 'l cry Farewel world Oh into what a Gulf am I now falling 3. It instructs Ah my Brethren let 's remember we are pilgrims and strangers upon earth and our way lies over the Brook and Valley of Cedron we cannot expect to enter with Christ into glory but we must first drink of the Brook in the way i.e. we must endure many afflictions variety of afflictions You will say this an hard saying who can hear it I remember when Jesus told his Disciples of his sufferings to be accomplished at Jerusalem Peter takes the boldness to dehort his Master Be it far from thee Mat. 16.22 Lord this shall not be unto thee but Jesus thereupon calls him Satan meaning that no greater contradictions can be offered to the designs of God and Christ than to diswade us from sufferings There 's too much of Peter's humour abides amongst us Oh this Doctrine of afflictions will not down with Libertines Antinomians and the like and hence we believe we have our Congregations so thin in comparison of some of theirs they that can break off the yoke of Obedience and untie the Bands of Discipline and preach a cheap Religion and present heaven in the midst of flowers and strew palms and carpets in the way and offer great liberty of living under sin and reconcile eternity with the present enjoyment shall have their Schools filled with Disciples but they that preach the Cross and sufferings and afflictions and strictness of an holy life they shall have the lot of their blessed Lord i.e. they shall be ill thought of and deserted and railed against Well but if this be the way that Christ hath led us whilest others abide at ease in Zion let us follow him in the valley and over the Brook that is called Cedron Thus far have we observed Christ in the way together with his passage over Cedron we come now to the Garden into which he entred and his Disciples SECT III. Of the Garden into which Christ entred Mat. 26.36 MAtthew relates it thus then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies in special a Field a Village but more generally a Place as we translate it and this place was called Gethsemane i.e. a valley of fatness Certainly it was a most fruitful and pleasant place seated at the foot of the Mount of Olives accordingly John relates it thus John 18.1 Jesus went forth with his Disciples over the Brook Cedron where was a Garden many Mysteries are included in this Word and I believe it is not without reason that our Saviour goes into a Garden As 1. Because Gardens are solitary places fit for meditation and prayer to this end we find Christ sometimes on a Mountain and sometimes in a Garden 2. Because Gardens are places fit for repose and rest when Christ was weary with preaching working of Miracles and doing acts of Grace in Jerusalem then he retires into this Garden 3. Because a Garden was the place wherein we fell and therefore Christ made choice of a Garden to begin there the greatest work of our Redemption In the first Garden was the beginning of all evils and in this garden was the beginning of our restitution from all evils in the first Garden the first Adam was overthrown by Satan and in this Garden the second Adam overcame and Satan himself was by him overcome in the first Garden sin was contracted and we were indebted by our sins to God and in this Garden sin was paid for by that great and precious price of the blood of God in the first Garden man surfeited by eating the forbidden fruit and in this Garden
Christ sweat it out wonderfully even by a bloody sweat in the first Garden Death first made its entrance into the world and in this Garden Life enters to restore us from Death to Life again in the first Garden Adam's Liberty to sin brought himself and all us into bondage and in this Garden Christ being bound and fettered we are thereby freed and reduced to liberty I might thus descant in respect of every Circumstance but this is the sum in a Garden first begun our sin and in this Garden first began the Passion that great Work and Merit of our Redemption 4. Christ goes especially into this Garden that his enemies might the more easily find him out the Evangelist tells us that this Garden was a place often frequented by Jesus Christ so that Judas which betrayed him knew the place John 18.2 for Jesus oftentimes resorted thither with his Disciples sure then he went not thither to hide himself but rather to expose himself and like a noble Champion to appear first in the field and to expect his enemies Thus it appears to all the world that Christ's death was voluntary He poured forth his soul unto death saith the Prophet he gave himself for our sins saith the Apostle nay Isa 53.12 Gal. 1.4 John 10.17 18 himself tells us therefore doth my Father love me because I laid down my life no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again But I will not stay you at the Door let us follow Christ into the Garden and observe his Prayer and his Sufferings there SECT IV. Of the Prayer that Christ there made JEsus entring the Garden he left his Disciples at the entrance of it calling with him Peter James and John they only saw his transfiguration the earnest of his future Glory and therefore his pleasure was that they only should see of how great glory he would disrobe himself even for our sakes In the garden we may observe first his Prayer and secondly his Passion 1. He betakes himself to his great Antidote which himself the great Physitian of our souls prescribed to all the world he prayes to his heavenly Father he kneels down and not only so but falls flat upon the ground he prayes with an intention great as his sorrow and yet with a submission so ready Mat. 26.39 as if the Cup had been the most indifferent thing in the world The Form of his Prayer ran thus O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt In this Prayer observe we these Particulars 1. The person to whom he prayes O my Father 2. The matter for which he prayes Let this Cup pass from me 3. The Limitation of this Prayer If it be possible and if it be thy will 1. For the Person to whom he prayes it is his Father As Christ prayed not in his Godhead but according to his Manhood so neither prayed he to himself as God but to the Father the first person of the God-head Hence some observe that as the Father sometimes saying This is my beloved Son he spake not to himself but to the Son so the Son usually saying O my Father he prayes not to himself but to the Father 2. For the Matter of his Prayer Let this Cup pass from me Some interpret thus Let this Cup pass by me Oh that I might not taste it But others thus Let this Cup pass from me though I must taste it yet Oh that I may not be †Quod dicit transfer calicem istum a me non hoc est non adveniat mihi nisi enim advenerit transferri non poterit sed sicut quod praeterit nec intactum est noc permanens sic Salvator leviter invadentem tentationem flagitat pelli Sic Dionisius Alexandrin Heb. 5.7 too long or tediously annoyed by it That which leads unto this last interpretation is that of the Apostle Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong cries and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and he was heard in that which he feared Heb. 5.7 How was he heard not in the removal of the Cup for he drank it up all but in respect of the tedious annoyance or poysoning of the Cup for though it made him sweat drops of blood though it grieved him and pained him and made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Though it cast him into a sleep and laid him dead in his Grave and there sealed him for a time yet presently within the space of forty hours or thereabouts he revived and awakened as a Lion out of sleep or as a Giant refreshed with wine and so it passed from him as he prayed in a very short time and by that short and momentary death he purchased to his people everlasting Life 3. For the Limitation of his Prayer If it be possible if it be thy will He knows what is his Fathers will and he prayes accordingly and is willing to submit unto it if the passing of the Cup be according to the last interpretation we shall need none of these many distinctions to reconcile the will of God and Christ If it be possible signifies the earnestness of the Prayer and if it be thy will the submission of Christ unto his Father the Prayer is short but sweet How many things needful to a Prayer do we find concentred in this one instance Here is Humility of Spirit Lowliness of Deportment Importunity of Desire a Fervent Heart a Lawful Matter and a Resignation to the will of God Some think this the most fervent prayer that ever Christ made on earth If it be possible O! if it be possible let this Cup pass from me And I think it was the greatest dereliction and submission to the will of God that ever was found upon the earth for whether the Cup might pass or not pass he leaves it to his Father nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt q. d. Though in this Cup are many Ingredients it is full red and hath in it many dregs and I know I must drink and suck out the very utmost dreg yet whether it shall pass from me in that short time or continue with me a long long time I leave it to thy will I see in respect of my humanity there is in me flesh and blood O! I am frail and weak I cannot but fear the wrath of God and therefore I pray thus earnestly to my God O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt But what was there in the Cup that made Christ pray thus earnestly that it might pass from him I answer 1. The great pain that he must endure the buffettings whippings bleedings crucifying all the torments from first to
as it were of the only begotten Son of the Father and their words seemed to them as it were idle Tales and they believed them not The words in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the same here is the first step of this Clymax his sweat was a wonderful sweat not a sweat of water but of red gore-blood 2. Great drops of blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is sudor diaphoreticus a thin faint sweat and sudor grumosus a thick concrete and clotted sweat in this bloody sweat of Christ it came not from him in small dews but in great drops they were drops and great drops of Blood crassie and thick drops and hence it is concluded as preternatural for though much may be said for sweating blood in a course of nature Aristotle Arist l. 3. de hist anim c. 29. Aug. l. 14. de Civ Dei c. 24. affirms it and Augustine grants that he knew a man that could sweat blood even when he pleased in faint bodies a subtile thin blood like sweat may pass through the pores of the Skin but that through the same pores crass thick and great drops of blood should issue out it was not it could not be without a Miracle Some call them grumes others globes of blood certainly the drops are great so great as if they had started through his skin to outrun the streams and rivers of his Cross 3. Here is yet another clymax in that these great drops of blood did not only distillare drop out but decurrere run a stream down so fast as if they had issued out of most deadly wounds they were great drops of blood falling down to the ground here 's magnitude and multitude great drops and those so many so plenteous as that they went through his apparel and all streaming down to the ground now was it that his garments were died with crimson red that of the Prophet though spoken in another sense yet in some respect may be applyed to this Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel and thy garments like him that treadeth the Wine-fat Oh what a sight was here Isa 63.2 His Head and Members are all on a bloody sweat his sweat trickles down and bedecks his garments which stood like a new firmament studded with stars portending an approaching storm nor stayes it there but it falls down to the ground Oh happy Garden watered with such treas of blood how much better are these rivers than Abana and Pharphar rivers of Damascus yea than all the waters of Israel yea than all those Rivers that water the Garden of Eden 1. This may inform us of the weight and burden of sin Vse that thus presseth Christ under it till he sweat and bleed when the first Adam had committed the first sin this was the penalty in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread Gen. 3.19 but now the second Adam takes upon him all the Sins of all Believers in the world he sweats not only in his face but in all his Body O then how was that face disfigured when it stood all on drops and those drops not of a watry sweat but of a gore blood We see in other men that when they are disquieted with fear or grief the blood usually runs to the heart indeed that is the principal member and therefore leaving the other parts it goes thither as of choice to comfort that but our sweet Saviour contrariwise because he would suffer without any manner of comfort he denies to himself this common relief of nature all the Powers of our souls and parts of our bodies were stained with sin and therefore he sweats blood from every part we sin and our eyes will scarce drop a tear for sin but his eyes and ears and head and hands and feet and heart and all run rivers of tears of blood for us even for our sins Let Jesuites and Friers in meditating of Christ's sufferings cry out against the Jews in this bloody sweat of Christ I see another use alas here 's no Jew no Judas no Herod no Pilate no Scribe no Pharisees here 's no tormentors to whip him no souldiers to crown his Head with thrones here 's neither nailes nor spear to fetch his blood out of his Body how comes it then to pass Is there any natural cause ah no the night is cold which naturally draws blood inwards in the open air he lies grovelling on the ground and there he sweats and bleeds O my heart who hath done this deed As the Lord liveth 2 Sam. 12.5 the man that hath done this thing shall surely die So said David when Nathan replied upon him thou art the man O my heart my sinful heart O my sinful V. 7. deceitful abominable heart thou art the Murderer thy sins sate upon the heart of Christ as heavy as a Mountain of Lead or Iron when none was near but a few dull heavy sleepy Disciples then all the sins of Believers and amongst them thy sins fell upon the soul of Christ as so many murtherers and squeezed blood and made him cry out My soul is heavy heavy unto death Go thy wayes now and weep with Peter and say with David I have sinned against thee Lord. O how should these eyes of mine look upon Christ thus sweating bleeding streaming out blood clods of blood V. 13. great drops of blood from all the parts and members of his Body but I must mourn over him Zech. 12.10 as one that mourneth for his only son but I must be in bitterness as one that is in bitterness for his first-born 2. This may inform us of the extraordinary love of Christ It is said of the pelican that when her young ones are struck with the tail of some poysonous Serpent she presently strikes her breast with her Beak or Bill and so lets out her own blood as a Medicine for them that they may suck and live even so Christ seeing us struck with the poyson of sin he is impatient of delay he would not stay till the Jews let him blood with their whips Luke 12.50 and thorns and nayls I have a Baptism to be baptized with saith Christ and how am I straightned till it be accomplished He is big with love and therefore he opens all his pores of his own accord he lets blood gush out from every part and thereof he makes a precious Balsom to cure our wounds O the Love of Christ As Elihu could sometimes say Job 32.19 Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new Bottles so the heart of Christ was full even full of love so full that it could not hold but it burst out through every part and member of his body in a bloody sweat I will not say but that every drop of Christ's blood was very precious and of sufficient value to save a world but certainly that blood which was not forc'd by whips or thorns
that he is both our justification and sanctification Physitians tell us that about the heart there is a film or skin like unto a purse wherein is contained clear water to cool the heat of the heart and therefore very probable it is that that very skin or pericardium was pierced through with the heart and thence came out those streams of blood and water O gates of Heaven O windows of Paradise O Palace of refuge O Tower of strength O Sanctuary of the Just O flourishing bed of the Spouse of Solomon methinks I see water and blood running out of his side more freshly than those golden streams which ran out of the garden of Eden and watered the whole world Here if I could stay I might lengthen my Doctrine during my life oh it were good to be here it were a large field and a blessed subject 4. About five which the Jews call the eleventh and the last hour of the day Christ was taken down and buried by Joseph and Nicodemus But enough I must not wear out your patience altogether Thus far we have propounded the blessed object of Christ's suffering and dying for us our next work is to direct you as formerly in the art or mystery how you are to look unto him in this respect CHAP. III. SECT I. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation in his death 1. LEt us know Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation during his sufferings and death This is the high point which Paul was ever studying on and preaching on and pondering on For I determined not to know any thing among you 1 Cor. 2.2 save Jesus Christ and him crucified Christ crucified is the rarest piece of knowledge in the world the person of Christ is a matter of high speculation but Christ further considered as cloathed with his garments of blood is that knowledge which especially Paul pursues he esteems not reckons not determines not to make any profession of any other science or doctrine than the most necessary and only saving knowledge of Christ crucified O my soul how many dayes and months and years hast thou spent to attain some little measure of knowledge in the Arts and Tongues and Sciences and yet what a poor skill hast thou attained in respect of the many thousands of them that knew nothing at all of Jesus Christ and what if thou hadst reached out to a greater proficiency couldst thou have dived into the secrets of Nature couldst thou have excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East country and all the wisdom of Egypt 1 Kings 4.33 and the wisdom of Solomon who spake of beasts of fowls of fishes of all trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall yet without the saving knowledge of Christ crucified Christ suffering bleeding and dying all this had been nothing see Eccles 1.18 only that knowledge is worth the having which refers to Christ and above all that is the rarest piece of Christ's humiliation which holds him forth suffering for us and so freeing us from hell sufferings Come then and spend thy time for the future more fruitfully in reading learning knowing this one necessary thing Study Christ crucified in every piece and part O the precious truths and precious discoveries that a studying head and heart would hammer out here much hath been said but a thousand-thousand times more might yet be said we have given but a little scantling of that which Christ endured Volumes might be written till they were piled as high as heaven and yet all would not serve to make out the full discoveries of Jesus's sufferings Study therefore and study more but be sure thy study and thy knowledge be rather practical than speculative do not meerly beat thy brains to learn the history of Christ's death but the efficacy vertue and merit of it know what thou knowest in reference to thy self as if Jesus had been all the while carrying on the business of thy souls salvation as if thou hadst stood by and Christ had spoke to thee as sometimes to the women Weep not for me but for thy self thy sins caused my sufferings and my sufferings were for the abolition of thy sins SECT II. Of considering Jesus in that respect 2. LEt us consider Jesus carrying on this great work of our salvation during his sufferings and death Zach. 12.10 Heb. 12.2 They shall look upon me whom they have pierced saith the Prophet i.e. they shall consider me and accordingly is the Apostle looking unto Jesus or considering of Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy of our salvation set before him endured the cross and despised the shame Then indeed and in that act is the duty brought in it is good in all respects and under all considerations to look unto Jesus from first to last but above all this Text relates firstly to the time of his sufferings and hence it is that Luke calls Christ's passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a theory or sight And all the people that came together to that sight Luke 23.48 smote their breasts and returned Not but that every passage of Christ is a theory or sight worthy our looking on or considering of Christ in his Fathers purpose and Christ in the promise and Christ in performance Christ in his birth and Christ in his life O how sweet what blessed objects are these to look upon but above all consider him saith the Apostle that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself Heb. 12.3 Ver. 2. Consider him who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised the shame of all other parts acts or passages of Christ the holy Ghost hath only honoured Christ's passion his sufferings and his death with this name of theory and sight Why surely this is the theory ever most commended to our view and consideration O then let us look on this consider of this As in this manner 1. Consider him passing over the Brook Cedron it signifies the wrath of God and rage of men the first step of his passion is sharp and sore he cannot enter the door but first he must wade through cold waters on bare feet nor must he only wade through them but drink of them through many tribulations must he go that will purchase souls and through many tribulations must they go that will follow after him to the Kingdom of Glory Consider him entring into the Garden of Gethsemane in a garden Adam sinned and in this garden Christ must suffer that the same place which was the nest where sin was hatched might now be the child-bed of grace and mercy into this garden no sooner was he entred but he began to be agonized all his powers and passions within him were in conflict Consider O my soul how suddenly he is struck into a strange fear never was man so afraid of the torments of
hell as Christ standing in our room is of his Fathers wrath fear is still suitable to apprehension and never man could so perfectly apprehend the cause of fear as Jesus Christ nor was he only afraid but very heavy My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death His sorrow was lethal and deadly it melted his soul gradually as wax is melted with heat it continued with him till his last gasp his heart was like wax burning all the time of his passion and at last it melted in the midst of his bowels Psal 22.19 Mark 14.33 Nor was he only afraid and heavy but he began to be sore amazed this signifies an universal cessation of all the faculties of the soul from their several functions we usually call it a consternation it is like a Clock stopped for the while from going by some hand or other laid upon it or if it was not wholly a cessation yet was it at least an expavefaction such a motion of the mind as whereby for the present he was disinabled to mind any thing else but the dreadful sense of the wrath of God O what an agony was this O what a strugling passion of mixed grief was this what afflicting and conflicting affections under the sight and sense of eminent peril was in this agony Luke 22.44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly thrice had he prayed but now in his agony he prayed more earnestly O my Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Though I feel the soul of pain in the pain of my soul yet there is divinity in me which tells me there is a wage for sin and I will pay it all O my Father sith thou hast bent thy bow lo here an open breast fix herein all thy shafts of fury better I suffer for a while than that all believers should be damned for ever thy will is mine lo I will bear the burthen of sin come and shoot here thy arrows of revenge And thus as he prayed he sweat Luke 22.44 And is sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground Oh what man or Angel can conceive the agony the fear the sorrow the amazement of that heart that without all outward violence meerly out of the extremity of his own passion bled through the flesh and skin not some faint dew but solid drops of blood now is he crucified without a cross fear and sorrow are the nails our sâ—ns the thorns his Fathers wrath the spear and all these together cause a bleeding shower to rain throughout all his pores O my soul consider of this and if thou wilt bring this consideration home say thy sins were the cause of this bloody sweat Jesus Christ is that true Adam that is come out of Paradise for thy sins and thus laboured on earth with his bloody sweat to get the bread that thou must feed on 2. Consider his apprehension Judas is now at hand with a troop following him to apprehend his Master see how without all shame he set himself in the van and coming to his Lord and Master gives him a most Traiterous and deceitful kiss What Judas betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss hast thou sold the Lord of life to such cruel merchants as covet greedily his blood and life O alas at what price hast thou set the Lord of all the creatures at thirty pence what a vile and slender price is this for a Lord of such Glory and Majesty God was sold for thirty pieces of silver but man could not be bought without the dearest heart-blood of the Son of God Luke 22.53 At that time said Christ Ye be come as it were against a thief with swords and staves I sate daily among you teaching in the Temple and ye never laid hands on me but this is your hour and the power of darkness Now the Prince of darkness exercised his power now the hellish rout and malicious rabble of ravenous wolves assaulted the most innocent Lamb in the world now they most furiously haled him this way and that way O how ungently did they handle him how uncourteously spake they unto him how many blows and buffets did they give him what cries and shouts and clamours made they over him now they lay hold on his holy hands and bind them hard with rough and knotty cords so that they gall the skin off his arms and make the very blood spring out now they bring him back again over Cedron and they make him once again to drink of the brook in the way now they lead him openly through the high streets of Jerusalem and carry him to the house of Annas in great triumph O my soul consider these several passages consider them leisurely and with good attention consider them till thou feelest some motions or alterations in thy affection is not this he that is the infinite vertue the pattern of innocency the everlasting wisdom the honour of earth the glory of heaven the very fountain of all beauty whether of men or Angels how is it then that this vertue or power is tyed with bands that innocency is apprehended that wisdom is flouted and laughed to scorn that honour is contemned that glory is tormented that he that is fairer than all the children of men is besmeared with weeping and troubled with sorrow of heart surely there is some thing O my soul in thee that caused all this hadst not thou sinned the Sun of Righteousness had never been eclisped 3. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Annas to Caiphas there a Councel is called Mat. 26.63 Ver. 66. and Caiphas the high Priest adjures our Lord to tell him if he was Christ the Son of God no sooner he affirms it but he is doomed guilty of blasphemy and so guilty of death Now again they assault him like mad dogs and disgorge upon him all their malice fury and revenge each one to the utmost of his power gives him buffets and strokes there they spit upon that Divine face with their devilish mouths there they hudwink his eyes and strike him on the cheek scoffing and jesting and saying Read who is it that smote thee O beauty of Angels was that a face to be spet upon men usually when they are provoked to spit turn away their faces towards the foulest corner of the house and is there not in all that Palace a souler place to spit in than the face of Jesus O my soul why dost thou not humble thy self at this so wonderful example how is it that there should remain in the world any token of pride after this so great and marvellous an example of humility surely I am at my wits end and very much astonished to consider how this so great patience overcomes not my anger how this so great abasing asswageth not my pride how these so violent buffets beat not down my presumption Is it not
marvellous that Jesus Christ by these means should overthrow the Kingdom of pride and yet that there should remain in me the relicks of pride consider all those night-sufferings of Christ O cruel night O unquiet night now was the season that all creatures should take their rest that the senses and members wearied with toils and labours should be refreshed but on the contrary Christ's members and senses were then tormented they struck his body they afflicted his soul they bound his hands they buffetted his cheeks they spit in his face O my soul thou sinnest in the dark in covert in secret when no eye is upon thee when the Sun that eye of the world is set or hid and therefore all the night long is Christ thus tormented by thy sins not one jot of rest hath Christ not a wink of sleep must seize on him whom thou by the alarm of thy sins disquieted both at evening at mid-night and at the Cock-Crow and at the dawning 4. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Caiphas to Pilate now he stands before Pilate where he was accused of sedition seduction and usurpation Not only Jews but Gentiles have their hands imbrewed in the blood of Christ Pilate was delegated from Cesar Luke 18.31 both of them Gentiles yet not without a prophesie Behold we go up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished for he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles at the Gentile-tribunal being questioned of his Kingdom and he answers both the Jews and Gentiles that they need not fear his usurpation John 18.36 My Kingdom is not of this world He gives Kingdoms that are eternal but he will take away none that are temporal Christ came not into the world to be Cesar's or Pilate's or Herod's successor but if they had believed to have been their Saviour Look through the Chronicles of his life and we find him so far from a King that he was the meanest servant of all men where was he born but at Bethlehem a little City where did the Shepherds find him but in a poor cottage who were his Disciples but a deal of Fishermen who his Companions but Publicans and sinners is he hungry where stands his table but on plain ground what are his dainties but bread and a few Fishes where is his lodging but at the stern of a Ship Here 's a King without either presence-chamber or bed-chamber The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head Come fear not Pilate the loss of thy diadem it may be the people would sometimes have made him a King but see how he flies from it My Kingdom is not of this World saith Jesus Oh that I could but contemn the World as Christ did O that first and above all I could seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness Oh my soul I feel it I feel it unless I can be free from the affection of all creatures I cannot with freedom of mind aspire unto divine things unless I be willing with Christ to tread on Crowns and Scepters to be despised and forsaken of all and to be esteemed nothing at all I can have no inward peace nor be spiritually enlightned nor be wholly united to the Lord Jesus Christ 5. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Pilate to Herod there is he questioned of many things but justly is the Lamb of God dumb and opened not his mouth to him that not long before had taken away his voice upon this he is mocked Luke 23.11 and arrayed in a gorgeous robe Wisdom is taken for Folly Vertue for Vice Truth for Blasphemy Temperance for Gluttony the Peace-maker of all the World for a seditious disturber of the World the reformer of the Law for a breaker of the Law and the justifier of sinners for a sinner and the follower of sinners See how he emptied himself and made himself of no reputation that he might fill thee with goodness and make thee spiritually wise unto salvation 6. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Herod back again to Pilate O my Saviour how art thou now abused new accusations are forged and when Pilate sees that nothing will do but Christ must dye he delivers him to be stripped whipped cloathed in Purple crowned with Thorns and Sceptred with a Reed He that with spittle cured the eyes of the blind is now blinded with their spittle who can number those stripes wherewith they flea and tare his body one wound eating into another that there is no health in his bones by reason of my sins O Jesus was that frothy spittle the Ointment those Thorns thy Crown that Reed thy Scepter that Purple-dyed and imbroidered with blood thy Royal Robes or because Adam's sin brought forth Thorns must it therefore be thy pennance to wear them unthankful people thus watered with his blood that bring forth nothing but Thorns to crown him But Oh that the Lord of Heaven the Creator of the World the Glory of the Angels the Wisdom of God should for my sake be punished with whips and scourges O my heart how can I think on this without tears of blood O joy of the Angels and Glory of Saints who hath thus disfigured thee who hath thus defiled thee with so many bloody blows certainly they were not thy sins but mine it was love and mercy that compast thee about and caused thee to take upon thee this so heavy a burthen love was the cause why thou didst bestow upon me all thy benefits and mercy moved thee to take upon thee all my miseries 7. Consider that sad spectacle of Jesus when he came forth wearing the Crown of Thorns and the Purple Robe and Pilate saying unto them behold the Man John 19.5 O my soul fix thy eyes on the sad object suppose thy self in the case of Jesus what if in so sensible and tender a part as thy head is men should fasten a number of Thorns yea and those so sharp that they should pierce into thy scull why alas thou canst hardly abide the prick of a pin much less the piercing in of so many Thorns O but thy Jesus was crowned with Thorns and Sceptred with a Reed and that Reed was taken out of his hands to beat the Crown of Thorns into his head and besides thy Jesus was whipped with cords and rods and little chains of iron that from his shoulders to the soles of his feet there was no part free and being now in this plight thou art called on to behold the Man dost thou see him is thy imagination strong canst thou consider him at present as if thou hadst a view of this very man methinks it should make thee break out and say O brightness of thy Fathers glory who hath thus cruelly dealt with thee O unspotted glass of the Majesty of God who hath thus wholly disfigured thee O river that flows out
hope This is to undervalue Christ's redemption this is to think there is more in sin to damn than in Christ's sufferings to save whereas all thy Sins to Christ are but as a little cloud to the glorious Sun yea all the Sins of all the men in the world are but to Christs merits as a drop to the Ocean I speak not this to encourage the presumptuous sinner for alass he hath no part in this satisfaction but to comfort the humble sinner who is loaden with the sense of his Sins what though they were a burthen greater than he can bear yet they are not a burthen greater than Christ can bear there is in Christ's blood an infinite treasure able to sanctifie thee and all the World there is in Christs death a ransome a counterprice sufficient to redeem all the sinners that ever were or ever shall be the price is of that nature that it is not diminished though it be extended to never so many as the Sun hath fulness of light to enlighten all the world and if the blind do not see by it it is no any scarcity of light in the Sun but by reason of his own indisposition so if all men are not acquitted by Christ's death it 's not because that was insufficient as if it had not vertue enough to reach them as well as others but because they by their unbelief do reject this remedy Oh what large room hath saith to expatiate in sit down and dive and dive yet thou canst not come to the bottom of Christ's blood but as the Prophet Ezekiel saw still more and greater abominations so mayest thou in the sufferings of Christ observe more and more fulness See what a notable opposition the Apostle makes Rom. 5.15 16 17 18 19 20 21. between the first and second Adam proving at large that Christ doth super-abound in the fruits of his grace above the first Adam in the fruits of his sin he calls it grace and the abundance of grace and this abundance of grace reigneth to life Ver. 17. so that these Texts should be like so much oyl poured into the wounds of every broken-hearted sinner Oh is there any thing that can be desired more than this 5. There is in it remission of sins so saith Christ Mat. 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Remission of sins is attributed to Christ's death as a cause it is not thy tears or prayers or rendings of heart that could pay the least farthing Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood saith the Apostle there is no remission God will have tears and blood also though not for the same purpose for all thy tears thou must flie to Christ only as the cause it is true thou must mourn and pray and humble thy self but it 's Christ's blood only that can wash us clean Oh remember this God will not pardon without satisfaction by the blood of Christ And surely this makes Christ's death so desirable Oh my sins afflict me cries many a one Oh I am loathsome in mine own eyes much more in Gods surely God is offended with my dulness slothfulness and my thousand imperfections I am all the day long entangled with this sin and that sin and the other sin but let this contrite spirit look on Christ's death and therein he may find all sin is pardoned see here what an Argument is put into thy mouth from these sufferings of Christ well mayest thou say O Lord I am unworthy but it is just and right that Christ obtain what he died for Eph. 2.13 14. O pardon my sins for his death's sake and for his precious blood sake 6. There is in it reconciliation and peace with God In Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us Rom. 5.10 Eph. 2.16 Col. 1.20 When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son that he might reconcile both viz. Jews and Gentiles unto God in one body by the Cross And having made peace through the blood of his Cross by him â—o reconcile all things to himself This certainly should admirably support the drooping soul it may be thou cryest My sins have made a breach betwixt God and my soul I have warred against heaven and now God wars against me and oh what odds if the Lord be angry yea but a little what will become of my poor soul is a little stubble able to contend with the consuming fire how then should I contend with God but come now and look on Christ's death as the means and meritorious cause of reconciliation and thou canst not but say O this death is desirable When God the Father looks at a sinner in the bloody glass of Christ then saith God Oh now fury and wrath is not in me I have no more quarrel or controversie with this soul seeing Christ hath suffered it is enough I have as much as my justice can demand my frowns are now turned into smiles and my rod of iron into a Scepter of grace Why this is it that makes Christ's death and blood so desirable to the soul what shall Jacob so rejoyce in seeing Esau's face altered to him shall he say to Esau I have seen thy face as the face of God how much rather may the humble and believing sinner be filled with gladness when through Christ's blood shall be thus appeased and reconciled with him 7. There is in it immunity and safety from all the judgments and dangers threatned against our sins Surely if there were such force in the blood of the type that by the effusion of it the Israelites lay safe and untouched of the revenging Angel how much more in the blood of Christ Rev. 12.11 Satan himself is said to be overcome by the blood of the Lamb and God's revenge due to our sins is said to be removed by the blood of Jesus therefore it is called The blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 the blood of sprinkling was for safety and Christ's blood is for safety it cries not for revenge as Abel's blood cryed but for mercy and for deliverance from all misery 8. There is in it a blessed vertue to open Heaven and to make passage thither for our souls Having boldness or liberty to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Heb. 10.19 it is the blood of Christ that rents the Vail and makes a way into the Holy of Holies that is into the Kingdom of Heaven without this blood there is no access to God it is only by the blood of Christ that heaven is open to our prayers and that Heaven is open to our persons this blood is the key that unlocks Heaven and lets in the souls of his Redeemed
ones And I looked saith John and behold a door was open in Heaven and the first voice I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me which said come up hither Rev. 4.1 and no sooner was he in the Spirit and entred in but he heard the new song of the four beasts Rev. 5.9 and four and twenty Elders saying to Christ Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Come now and gather in all these several particulars there is in Christ's blood inclusively the person of Christ the price of souls a merit and satisfaction a copious and full satisfaction remission of sins reconciliation with God immunity from dangers a passage into glory I might add all other priviledges benefits dignities of the soul for they all flow from the blood of Jesus and they are all contained either expresly or vertually in the blood of Jesus and is not all this worth the looking after O my soul where is thy languor and fainting towards this blessed object Shall Ahab eagerly desire after Naboth's vineyard yea so eagerly desire it that his desire shall cast him upon his bed and is not Christ's blood better than Naboth's vineyard how is it O my soul that thou art not sick on thy bed in thy desires after Jesus when David desired strongly after God's Law he expressed his longings by the breaking and fainting of his soul Psal 119.20 81. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath to thy judgment at all times and my soul fainteth for thy Salvation Oh where be these breakings and faintings 2 Cor. 5.2 strength of desire is expressed by the Apostle by groaning which is the language of sickness Oh where be these groanings after Christ's death when I call to mind that Christ's death is my ransome that Christ's wounds are my salves that Christ's stripes are my cures that Christ's blood is my fountain to wash in and to be clean how should I but pray in this sence His blood be upon us and on our children Oh I am undone except I have a share in this blood why it is only this blood that can heal my soul it is only this Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem that can quench my thirst and now I have seen the Fountain opened how should I but thirst and cry out with the woman of Samaria O give me this water that I thirst no more John 4.15 But alas I say it I only say it Oh that I could feel it Oh my Jesus that thou wouldst breed in me ardent desires vehement longings unutterable groans mighty gaspings O that I were like the dry and thirsty ground that gapes and cleaves and opens for drops of rain when my spirit is in right frame I feel some desires after Christ's blood but how short are these desires how unworthy of the things desired come Lord kindle in me hot burning desires and then give me the desirable Object SECT IV. Of hoping in Jesus in that respect 4. LEt us hope in Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his sufferings and death Heb. 6.11 By this hope I intend only that which the Apostle calls full assurance of hope The main question is Whether I have any part in Christ's sufferings they are of excellent use and of great value to believers but what am I the better for them if I have no part in them or if I say I hope well Oh but what grounds of that hope it is not every hope that is a well grounded hope full assurance of hope is an high pitch of hope and every Christian should strive and endeavour after it now that we may do it and that we may discern it that our hope is not base but right-born that the grounds of our hope in Christ's death are not false but of the right stamp I shall lay down these signs 1. If Christ's death be mine then is Christ's life mine and converse if Christ's death be mine then is Christ's life mine Christ's active and passive obedience cannot be severed Christ is not divided we must not seek one part of our righteousness in his birth another in his habitual holiness another in the integrity of his life another in his obedience of death They that endeavour to separate Christ's active and passive obedience they do exceedingly derogate from Christ and make him but half a Saviour Heb. 7.22 was not Christ our Surety Heb. 7.22 and thereupon was he not bound to fulfil all righteousness for us i.e. as to suffer in our stead so to obey in our stead oh take heed of opposing or separating Christ's death and Christ's life either we have all Christ or we have no part in Christ now if these two be concomitants well may the one be as the sign of the other search then and try O my soul hast thou any share in Christ's life canst thou make out Christ's active obedience unto thy own soul if herein thou art at a stand peruse those Characters laid down in the life of Christ the many glorious effects flowing out of Christ's life into a Believer's soul we have discovered before 2. If Christ's death be mine then is that great end of his death accomplished in me viz. By the sacrifice of himself he hath put away sin even my sin and Heb. 9.26 Eph. 1.7 Dan. 9.24 in him I have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins As on this account he suffered to finish the transgression to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity so if his death be mine I may assuredly say my sins are pardoned and mine iniquities are done away Come then and try by this sign canst thou assure thy self that thy sins are forgiven thee hast thou heard the whispers of Gods Spirit Son or Daughter be of good comfort thy sins are remitted there is no question then but thou art redeemed by his blood thou hast part in his sufferings Indeed this very Character may seem obscure assurance of pardon is the hidden Manna the white Stone which no man knoweth saving he which receives it and feels it and yet if thou diligently observest the Spirit 's actings even this may be known remission of sin and repentance for sin are twins of a birth those two God in Scripture hath joined together If we confess our sins 1 John 1.9 Acts 8.22 Acts 5.31 Luk. 24.46 47 he is faithful and just to forgive our sins And repent and pray if the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee And Christ is a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins And thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name In this way David assured himself I said I will confess my Transgressions unto
who are of weak judgments and fiery Spirits look to this point least as now when they cannot answer a Separatist they turn Separatists and when they cannot answer an Antinomian they turn Antinomians and when they cannot answer a Seeker Quaker Blasphemer they turn to them so when they cannot answer the subtle Arguments of a Jew they should as easily turn Jews and deny Christ and the resurrection of Christ I mean not to enter into controversies only I shall declare from what heads Arguments of this nature may be drawn As 1. More generally from Gentiles grants Jews concessions typical instructions prophetical predictions 2. More specially from these clear demonstrations that circumstantially and substantially do prove this Christ to have risen again 1. the Arguments in general are 1. From Gentiles grants Pilate that condemned Christ testified in a letter to Tiberius Cesar that Christ was risen again Tertul. l. cont Gent. Egesippus de vito resur Christi and therefore Tiberius desired the Senate to admit Christ into the number of their gods which when they refused Tiberius was incensed and gave free leave to all Christians to profess Christianity And to the Gentiles Sybylla left written these very words He shall end the necessity of death by three dayes sleep and then returning from death to life again he shall be the first that shall shew the beginning of resurrection to his chosen for that by conquering death he shall bring us life 2. For the Jews concessions Josephus Joseph Antiq. lib. 8. c. 9. the most learned amongst the latter Jews acknowledgeth that after Pilate had crucified him he appeared unto his followers the third day accordingly as the Prophets had foretold The Scribes and Pharisees being astonished with the sudden news of his rising again confirmed by the Souldiers whom they set to watch found no other way to resist the same but only by saying as all the Jews do unto this day that his Disciples came by night and stole away his body whiles the Souldiers slept O strange if they were asleep how know they that his Disciples stole away his body and if they were not aslâ—ep how could a few weak fishers take away his body from a band of armed Souldiers 3. From typical instructions such was Adam's sleep Isaac's laying upon the Altar Joseph's imprisonment Sampson's breaking of the gates of Gaza David's escaping out of Saul's hands Jeremy's deliverance out of the pit the raising of the Shunamites child of the widow of Sarephtahs son of the Temple of Solomon of Jonah from the deep a thousand of these types might be produced which relate to this antitype Christ's resurrection 4. From prophetical predictions Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption Psal 16.10 Psal 16.10 After two dayes he will revive us in the third day he will raise us up Hosea 6.2 Hos 6.2 he will raise us up i.e. his Son united to us or our flesh assumed by his Son Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psal 2.7 Psal 2.7 Acts 13.33 I laid me down and slept I waked for the Lord sustained me Psal 3 5. Psal 3.5 Above all how plain was the prophesie of Christ himself that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and chief Priests and Scribes and be killed and be raâ—sed again the third day Matth. 16.21 Mat 16.21 2. The special Arguments are exceeding many as 1. The Angels Assertion He is not here for he is risâ—n as he said come see the place where the Lord lay Matth. 28.6 Mat. 28 6. 2. The great Earthquake And behold there was a great earthquake for the Angel of the Lord â—â—cended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door Matth. 28.2 Mat. 28.2 3. The Apparitions of raised bodies and the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints which sâ—â—pt arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many Matth. 27.52 53. 〈◊〉 27.52 53 4. The sudden courage of the Apostles whereas a little before they durst not peep out of doors they presently after compassed the whole world and confidently taught that there was no other name given under heaven whereby men may be saved but the Name of â—esus Act. 4.12 Acts 4.12 5. The Martyrs sufferings even for this truth 6. The Adversaries confâ—ssions even to this truth 7. The Jews punishments even to this day for not believing this saving truth There is one Rabbi Samuel who six hundred years since writ a Tract in form of an Epistle to Rabbi Isaac Master of the Synagogue of the Jews wherein he doth excellently discuss the cause of their long captivity and extream misery And after that he had proved it was inflicted for some grievous sin he sheweth that sin to be the same which Amos speaks of For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver Amos 2.6 Amos 2.6 the selling of Joseph he makes the first sin the worshipping of the Calf in Horeb the second sin the abusing and killing of God's Prophets the third sin and the selling of Jesus Christ the fourth sin For the first They served four hundred years in Egypt for the second They wandred forty years in the wilderness for the third They were captives seventy years in Babylon and for the fourth They are held in pitiful captivity even till this day 8. The last Argument on which only I shall insist it is the several Apparitions that Christ made to others after his Resurrection some reckon them ten times others eleven times and others twelve times according to the number of his twelve Apostles Luke 24.34 1. He appeared unto Mary Magdalen apart As a woman was the first instrument of death so was a woman the first Messenger of Life she brought the first tidings of the Resurrection of Christ which is the surest Argument of man's Salvation 2. He appeared to all the Maries together as they returned homewards from the Sepulchre never any truly sought for Christ but with these women they were sure to find Christ 3 He appeared to Simon Peter alone he was the first among men to whom he appeared he first went into the Sepulchre and he first saw him that was raised thence he was called first and he confessed Christ to be the Son of God and therefore Christ appears first to him Mark 16.7 the Angel bade the women to tell his Disciples and Peter that is to say and Peter especially that he was risen and gone before them into Galilee 1 Cor. 15.5 Of this speaks Paul He was first seen of Cephas and then of the Twelve 4. He appeared to the two Disciples journeying towards Emmaus the name of the one was Cleophas and probable it is the other was
not I hearken after him but he speaks not I call but he answers not O my Lord if I had never known thee I could have lived without thee but this is my misery not so much that I am without thee as that I have lost thee many are well without thee because they never enjoyed thee the children of beggars count it not their misery that they are not Princes but oh the grief when the children of Princes shall be turned to beggars O my Lord once I had thee but now I have lost thee yea I have lost thee every jot and piece and parcel of thee O ye Apostles Where is the dead body of my Lord O Sir Angel tell me if you saw his torn his macerated crucified body O grave O death shew me is there any thing of Christ's body though but a few dead ashes in your keeping no no all is gone I can hear nothing of what I would hear death is silent the graâ—e is empty the Angels say nothing to the purpose the Apostles are fled and they I know not who have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him 2. After this Christ himself appears but first as unknown and then as known 1. As unknown She turned her self back and saw Jesus standing John 20.14 15. and knew not that it was Jesus Jesus saith unto her Woman Why weepest thou whom seekest thou she supposing him to be the Gardiner c. In this Apparition of Christ unknown I shall only take notice of Christ's queâ—â—ion anâ— Maries inquisition his question is in these words Woman Why weepest thou whom seekest thou 1. Why wâ—epest thou This very question the Angels asked her before and now Christ asks it again sure there is something in it and the rather we may think so because it is the first opening of his Mouth the first words that ever came from him after his rising again Some say that Mary Magdalen represents the state of all mâ—nkind before this day viz. One weeping over the grave of another as if there were no hope and now at his resurrection Christ comes in with weep not Woman Why weepest thou q. d. there is no cause of weeping now Lo I am risen from the dead and am become the first-fruits of them that sleep And yet we may wondâ—r at the question Why should Christ demand of Mary why she wept but a while since shâ— saw him hanging on a tree with his head full of thorns his eyes full of tears his ears full of blasphemies his mouth full of gall his whole person mangled and disfigured and doth he ask her Woman Why weepest thou scarce three dayes since she beheld his arms and legs racked with violent pulls his hands and feet bored with nails his side and bowels pierced with a spear his whole body torn with stripes and gored in blood and doth he ask her Woman Why weepest thou she saw him on the cross yielding up his soul and now she was about to anoint his body which was the only hope she had alive but his body is removed and that hope is dead and she is left hopeless of all visible help and yet doth he ask her Woman Why weepest thou O yes though it may be strange yet it is not a question without cause she weeps for him dead who was risen again from the dead she was sorry he was not in his grave and for this very cause she should have been rather glad she mourns for not knowing where he lay when as indeed and in truth he lay not any where he is alive and present and now talks with her and resolves to comfort her and therefore Woman Why weepest thou 2. Whom seekest thou she seeks Christ and Christ asks her Woman Whom seekest thou We may wonder at this also if she seek Christ Why doth she not know him or if she know Christ Why doth she seek him still O Mary Is it possible thou hast forgotten Jesus there is no part in thee but is busie about him thy eye weeps thy heart throbs thy tongue complains thy body faints thy soul languisheth and notwithstanding all this Hast thou now forgotten him What are thy sharp eyes so weak sighted that they are dazled with the Sun and blinded with the Light O yes a shower of tears comes betwixt her and him and she cannot see him or it may be Her eyes were holden that she should not know him Luke 24.16 or it may be he appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some other shape such as resemble the Gardiner whom she took him for howsoever it was She saw Jesus standing but knew not that it was Jesus and therefore saith Jesus to her Woman Why weepest thou whom seekest thou There is a double presence of Christ felt and not felt the presence felt is when Christ is graciously pleased to let us know so much and this is an heaven upon earth The presence not felt is that secret presence when Christ seems to draw us one way and to drive another way So he dealt with the Woman of Canaan he seemed to drive her away but at the same time he wrought in her by his Spirit an increase of faith and by that means drew her to himself Thus may a soul suppose Christ lost and seek and weep and weep and seek and yet Christ is present 2. For Maries enquiry She supposing him to be the Gardiner said unto him Sir If thou hast born him hence tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away In the words we may observe first her mistake 2. Her speech upon her mistake 1. Her mistake She supposing him to be the Gardiner O Mary hath Christ lived so long and laboured so much and shed so many showers of blood to come to no higher preferment than a Gardiner this was a very strange mistake and yet in some sence and a good sence too Christ might be said to be a Gardiner As 1. It is he that gardens all our souls that plants in them the seeds of righteousness that waters them with the dew of grace and makes them fruitful to eternal life 2. It is he that raised to life his own dead body and will turn all our graves into a garden-Plot Thy dead men shall live together Esa 26.19 with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in dust for the dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Besides there is a mystery in her mistake As Adam in the state of grace and innocency was placed in a garden and the first office allotted to him was to be a Gardiner so Jesus Christ appeared first in a garden and presents himself in a Gardiners likeness And as that first Gardiner was the Parent of sin the ruine of mankind and the Author of death so is this Gardiner the ransome for our sins the raiser of our ruines and the restorer of our
will declare my iniquity saith David I will be sorry for my sin His confessions were dolorous confessions he felt sin and it wrought upon him as an heavy burthen They were two heavy for me Ver. 4. There 's nothing in the World can make an heart more heavy than when it feels the weight and heaviness of sin 2. Our confession must be a full confession we must pour it out Thus David stiles one of his Psalms A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed Psalm 102. Preface and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. We must pour out our complaints as a man poureth water out of a Vessel Arise cry out in the night in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord. Water runs all out of a Vessel Lam. 2.19 when you turn the mouth downward never a spoon-ful will then stay behind so should we pour out our hearts before God and if it were possible leave not a sin unconfessed at least for the kinds if not for the particular sins 3. Our confession must be with full aggravation we should aggravate our sins by all the circumstances that may shew them odious Thus Peter when he had denyed Christ it is said that he thought thereon and he wept He thought thereon Matth. 14 72. or he cast in his thoughts one thing upon another q. d. Jesus Christ was my Master and yet I denyed him he told me of this before-hand that I might take heed of it and yet I denyed him I professed to him that I would never do it I would never forsake him and yet I denyed him yea this very night and no longer since I said it again and again that I would not deny him and yet I denyed him yea I fail'd Although others deny thee yet will not I and yet worse than all others I denyed him with a witness for I affirmed desperately that I knew not the man nay I sware desperately that I knew not the man nay more than so I sware and I cursed too If I knew the man let Gods curse fall upon me and all this I did within a few strides of my Lord at that very time when I should have stood for my Lord in that all the World forsook him why these were the circumstances of Peters sin and meditating on them He went out and wept bitterly And thus we should aggravate our sins in our confessions O my sins were out of measure sinful O they were sins against knowledg and light against many mercies received against many judgments threatned against many checks of conscience against many vows and promises thus oft and in this place and at that time and in that manner I committed these and these sins but of all the aggravations let us be sure to remember how we sinned against the goodness and patience and love and mercy of God surely these circumstances will make our sins out of measure sinful The Angel that reproved the Children of Israel at Bochim after the repetition of his mercies towards them Judges 2.2 and of their sins against him he questions them in these words Oh why have ye done this q. d. The Lord hath done thus and thus mercifully unto you oh why have ye done thus unthankfully towards him why was his mercy abused his goodness slighted his patience despised do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise in like manner should we confess and aggravate our sins O my God thou art my Father was I ever in want and thou didst not relieve me was I ever in weakness and thou didst not strengthen me was I ever in straits and thou didst not deliver me was I ever in sickness and thou didst not cure me was I ever in misery and thou didst not succor me hast thou not been a gracious God to me all my bones can say who is like unto thee Lord who is like unto thee and shall I thus and thus reward the Lord for all his mercies towards me hear O Heavens and hearken O Earth Sun stand thou still and thou Moon be thou amazed at this hear Angels and hear Devils hear Heaven and hear Hell and be you avenged on such a sin as this is O the sinfulness of my sin in regard of these many circumstances 3. We must condemn our selves or pass sentence against our own souls Lord the worst place in Hell is too good for me Lord here is my soul thou mayst if thou pleasest send Satan for it and give me a portion among the damned This self-judging or self-condemning is exemplified to this life in Ezra for Ezra 9.5 1. He fell on his knees he did not bow down his knees but like a man astonished he fell on his knees he had before rent his garment and mantle and pluckt off the hair of his head and off his beard and sate down astonished and now at the evening sacrifice he falls on his knees and on the ground in great amazement Ver. 5. 2. He spread out his hands unto the Lord q. d. here is my breast and here is my heart-blood I spread my arms and lay all open that thou mayst set the naked point of thy sword of justice at my very heart Ver. 10. 3. He is dum and speechless as it were before the Lord And now our God what shall we say after all this for we have forsaken thy commandments q. d. shall I excuse the matter alas it is inexcusable what shall we say after all this shall we call for thy patience we have had it but how did we abuse it should we call for mercy indeed we had it but our stubborn hearts would never come down O our God what shall we say I know not what to say for we have sinned against thee 4. He layes down his soul and all the Peoples souls at God's feet q. d. here we are Ver. 15. thou mayest damn us if thou wilt Behold we are all here before thee in our trespasses for we cannot stand before thee because of this Behold here we are rebels we are here are our heads and throats before the naked point of thy vengeance if now thou shouldst take us from our knees and throw us into Hell if we must go from our prayers to damnation we cannot but say that thou art just and righteous Oh its mercy its mercy indeed that we have been spared its just and righteous with God that we should be damned In this more especially lyes self-condemnation it makes a man to trample upon his own self it makes a man freely to accept of damnation Levit. 26.41 42. They shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity and then will I remember my covenant with Jacob they save God as it were a labour judging themselves that they may not be judged 4. We must plead pardon and cry mightily to God in Christ for the remission of all our sins This is the
way of judging our selves we see nothing but Hell and damnation in our selves but then we fling down our selves at God's gate of mercy we despair not in God though in our selves God in Christ is gracious and merciful forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and hence we make bold to intreat the Lord for Christ's sake to be merciful to us surely herein lies the difference betwixt nature and grace the natural man may see his sins and confess his sins and judge himself for his sins thus Saul did and thus Judas did but then they despaired in God and were damned indeed now the gracious man hath a conscience within that represents to him his damned estate but withal it represents to him the free grace of God in Jesus Christ and so he onely despairs in himself and not in his God now thus far good come Christians do we despair in our selves do we fling off all our own hopes and our own dependencies hangings holdings on duties purposes graces performances and do we go to God in Christ and tell him We hang upon nothing but the mere mercy the free grace of God in Christ and therefore Lord pardon Lord forgive for thy Names sake promise sake mercies sake and for the Lord Jesus sake O let free grace have his work Lord glorifie thy Name and glorifie the riches of thy grace in saving us Why this is the best hold in the World though the World cannot abide it surely if we thus judge our selves we should not be judged 4. Christ at his coming will be glorified in his Saints not onely in himself but in his Saints also whose glory as it comes from him so it will redound to him Oh let him now be glorified in us let us now in some high way conform to the image of his glory let us look on Christ till we are like Christ not onely in grace but in glory and this glory as it comes from him so let it redound to him I will not say that the Kingdom of Heaven and glory is in this life I leave this opinion to the dreamers of this time I mean to the Familists Quakers and such like but this I say that even in this life the Saints of God enjoy a begun and imperfect conformity to Christ's glory and this is that I would now press upon us let us so behold the glory of the Lord in the glass of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.18 as that we may be changed into the same image from glory to glory from a lesser measure to an higher measure of glory The day is a coming that Christ will be glorified in himself and he will be glorified in his Saints O the glories that will then be accumulated and heaped upon Jesus Christ come now let us behold this glory of Christ till we are changed in some high measure into the same glory with Christ Christ's glory rightly viewed is a changing glory And herein the views of Christ surpass all creature-views if we behold the Sun we cannot possibly be changed into another Sun but if with the eye of knowledge and faith we behold Jesus Christ we shall be changed into the glorious image of Jesus Christ if the Sun of righteousness cast forth his golden beams upon us and we enjoy this light why then Cant. 6.10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning as Aurora the first birth of the day fair as the Moon clear as the Sun I know this glorious change is but a growing change by degrees from glory to glory and yet who can deny but there is some conformity to Christ's glory even in this life do not these very Texts speak the self same thing These things have I spoken to you John 15.11 1 John 1.4 John 16.24 Isa 66.10 11. that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full And ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full And rejoyce with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her that ye may suck and be satisfied with the brests of her consolations that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory Rom. 5.13 And the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Surely all joy and peace are synechdochically put for all other inchoations of glorification But how is a Saint in this life filled with all joy I answer 1. In regard of the obiect God and Christ 2. In regard of the degrees though not absolutely yet so far forth as the measure of ioy is in this life attainable I might instance in the joy of Mr. Peacock Mrs Brettergh and of some Martyrs who sung in the fires 3. In regard of duration rejoyce always Phil. 4.4 not onely in the calm of peace but in the storm of violent opposition A Saint may have his troubles but these troubles can never totally or finally extinguish his joy John 16.22 your joy no man taketh from you He rejoyceth always O that something of the glory of Christ might rest upon us oh that having this glory of Christ in our thoughts we could now feel a change from glory to glory Is it so that the Lord Jesus will be glorified in all his Saints and shall we have in-glorious souls base and unworthy affections and conversations or shall we content our selves with a little measure of grace O be we holy even as he is holy let our conversations be heavenly let us purifie our selves even as he is pure let us resemble him in some high measure of grace And lastly let us glorifie him in bodies and spirits all our glory is from him and therefore let all our glory redound to him let us now begin that Gospel-tune of the eternal song of free grace which one day we shall more perfectly chant in glory Allelujah and again Allelujah and Amen Allelujah salvation and glory and power and praise and thanksgiving and obedience be unto him that sits on the throne the Lamb blessed for ever and ever Amen The Conclusion And now my brethren I have done the errand which Christ sent me on I verily believe I have now delivered this work of the everlasting Gospel or of Christ's carrying on the great work of man's salvation hath been somewhat long in speaking but oh how long in acting may I give you a short view of what I have said and of what hath been acted from eternity and will yet be acted to eternity you may remember that God in his eternity laid a plot or design to glorifie the riches of his grace in saving sinners and to that purpose first he decreed a Christ 2. Presently after the fall he promised the Christ he had decreed 3. In fulness of time he exhibited the Christ that he had promised then it was that the same Christ took upon him out nature and joyned it to his God-head to