his purchase before Believing but when he comes to believe the obstruction is taken away that hindered his application and then he hath a new right not only to but in Christs purchase even as a Person that is Minor or mad may have a right to a great possession but by the law he is secluded from the use of it till he come to majority and have the use of reason and this distinction we have as one of the clauses of the Covenant John 6.39 40. where 1. in the 39. Verse Christ says This is the Fathers will that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day It 's the Fathers will that Eternal Life be given to as many as are given to Christ on his Satisfaction and Christ hath purchased it to them by his Satisfaction absolute as to the event and therefore they have an accessibleness to it a right to it and cannot but partake of it yet not simply but in the way that he hath laid down And therefore 2ly In the 40. Verse he saith This is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have eternal life by believing they come to the application of that to themselves which they had a legal right to before by Christs death 2. Respect must be had to the Covenant of Grace which is not quite an other thing then the Covenant of Redemption but the making offer of it and the benefits contained in it in the preached Gospel when Christ sends out his Ambassadours to woo and invite Sinners to Christ and to bring them to the application of his Purchase and it is by closing with and receiving of Christs offer that the actual Cure comes and that by Christs stripes our sores are healed Even as when a Child that was Minor becomes Major he comes to have a right to possess the same Lands or Sums of Money by the same Law that gave him a legal or simple right to them before or he comes to have a right in that which before he had a right to So elect Souls that have a right to Christs purchase before believing while they are mad in nature are under the curse and wrath threatned in the word of God for not believing but when they come to believe they come to get an extract from the same word of their right in Christs purchase because the Word says He that believes is past from death to life and shall not come into condemnation and so the same word that did condemn before believing doth now absolve upon a Sinners believing and we come at this absolution by receiving of Christs offer in the Covenant of Grace And if it be asked how comes it that the receiving of Christs free offer in the Covevant of Grace gives a right to Christs purchase we answer It is by vertue of the Covenant of Redemption wherein it is so transacted betwixt God and the Mediator so that there is the offer of the Covenant received and the Covenant it self that concur for making over and deriving a compleat Right to wretched Sinners in Christs purchase Let the 1. Use of this be for your instruction and information which is the end wherefore we have chosen in this way by this short view to give you in a very short sum the marrow of the Gospel And if ye remember these few Questions ye may be in a capacity not only to answer us but through grace to exercise Faith on Christ And we think ye will all readily grant that these who cannot at all answer them should not go to the Communion And therefore that ye may take them with you we shall shortly resume them 1. What condition is man in by nature Answer Under sin and misery and even under the curse of God Or thus every man is a sinner and hath a sinful nature or he is under transgressions and iniquities is naturally loathsome wants peace with God and hath need of healing Let this in the first place sink in your hearts 2. How is man freed from this sinfulness and misery Answer He cannot be free from it till there be a condign satisfaction made to Divine Justice wounding and bruising must be to procure pardon and stripes must be to procure healing and chastisement must be to bring about our peace That word Exod. 34. Who will by no means acquit the guilty would alwayes be remembred and Faith would look to a Saviour for satisfaction 3. Who can satisfie Answer Neither Man nor Angel can do it no penances no prayers nor performances of any meer creature will do it but He only that was wounded and bruised He who by Nature is the Son of God the express Image of the Fathers Person and who in respect of His Humane Nature was born of the Virgin Mary like to us in all things except sin It 's he that satisfies Justice and it 's by no other way that we get pardon and peace with God and Holiness 4. What way doth Christ satisfie Justice and make peace betwixt God and sinners Answer He entered himself in our room and as Cautioner undertook our debt suffered the condign punishmens that was due for our sins and payed the price that we should have payed He in a manner left Heaven and became Man had a mean life in the World drank the Cup of his Fathers Wrath was wounded bruised chastised and died a cursed death whereof his hanging on the Cross was but a sign 5. What benefites come to us by his sufferings Answer Pardon of sin Peace with God and healing The Conscience by his blood is sprinkled from dead works the person absolved reconciled to God made whole and made at last to be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing And this is not as Papists blasphemously speak a putative effect but a most real one 6. Who are made partakers of this pardon peace and healing Answer The Elect have right to it and by believing they make the application therefore it 's said here our and we And we may look upon the Prophet speaking in the name of all the Elect or in name of the believing Elect who on believing are actually healed The Elect then are healed and the way how is by faith making application of Jesus Christ 7. How in Justice can he be condemned that was free of sin and how can we be absolved that were guilty Answer He in Justice was condemned because as our Cautioner he came in our room and undertook to pay our debt And on the same ground we wretched sinners may in his way make application of his purchase because it was on these terms that he undertook the debt that we might be set free And it 's on these terms that it is offered in the Gospel that seing he hath payed for elect sinners they may upon the hearing of the offer close with it But how
the riches of the free grace of God there being a Decree of Election for saving so many and for bringing them to Glory And they being under sin there is another decree and threatning that goes forth for cursing the sinner and these two seeming to be altogether irreconciliable the Question comes in on the one hand how is it possible that a sinner under the curse can be saved And upon the other hand how is it possible that an Elect of God can be damned The wisdome of God looseth the knot Spotless Justice is satisfied by taking hold of and falling on the Cautioner Wonderful Grace and Love vent themselves in pardoning the sinner and in accepting of a ransome for him And manifold wisdome manifests it self in knitting these two together so as none of them can want its effect But all returns to the manifestation of the Glory of Grace in the up-shot It cannot be that the Elect shall be damned Yet here stands the threatning of a just God and his curse ready to be execute but here is the reconciliation The curse is execute on the Mediator whereby God shews himself to be a hater of sin and an avenger of the wrong done to his Justice And the Elect sinner is pardoned whereby God manifesteth the freedome of his grace and his wonderfully condescending love But now we come to a 9th Doctrine which is more directly held forth in the words and it hath two Branches that our Lord Jesus his death and sufferings is a proportionable price and satisfaction laid down for the sins of the Elect and for them only This is in the express words of the Prophet If the Question be asked Wherefore suffered Christ all this He answers he suffered it as a price for transgression If it be asked again for whom or for whose transgression did he suffer He answers not for all Men and Women in the World but for the transgression of my people was he stricken or the stroak was on him for their transgressions The first Branch of the Doctrine is to this purpose that Christs suffering is intended to satisfie for the transgression of Gods elected people and with respect to satisfying for their sins did he suffer And if we take these to be truths that we marked before as implyed in the words this will natively and necessarily follow If he engaged to be Cautioner and Surety for the Elects debt then his laying down his life must be on the same account and for the same end Now when we speak of Christs laying down a price to satisfie for the transgressions of the Elect we mean not only this that his sufferings and death have a value in themselves to satisfie for their sins but that they are so intended by him in undergoing of them and that they are so accepted of God according to his purpose and according to the transaction that past betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator They are not only as Socinians say to be a confirmation of the Doctrine which he preached and to be a rule and example to us of patient suffering and of giving obedience to the death as he did But it 's also and mainly to satisfie the Justice of God for our debt So then this wicked Tenet of the Socinians is exceeding derogatory to the sufferings of Christ and to the matchless love that shined in them yea and even to the whole design of Redemption For if Christs sufferings be not a satisfaction to Justice we are left without all just plea and apology for our selves at Gods Bar and if we have none then that curse looks the wakened sinner full in the face The day thou eats thou shalt surely die And however men in their security may please themselves with such dreams and think that a satisfaction to Justice is not needful yet if the conscience be once wakened it will not be quieted without one And if mens Faith give not credit to Gods threatnings they can have but little or rather no comfort at all in his promises There is therefore a necessity of a satisfaction and if Christs sufferings be not the satisfaction there is not another and so the whole work of Redemption is overturned So then though Christ in his sufferings hath left us a Copy how we should suffer yet that is not the only nor the principal end of them but it is contrived in the Covenant of Redemption and intended by the Medi tor and withall accepted by Jehovah that they should be the meritorious cause of procuring pardon to the Elect and the price of their Redemption This may be further cleared and confirmed 1. From the phrase that is ordinarily made use of in Scripture He suffered for the sins of his people And in the Text For the transgression of my people was he stricken Their sins had a peculiar influence in bringing the stroak on him And what influence I pray could they have but as they procured the stroak to him And if his stroaks were procured by our sins then the desert of them was laid on him and his sufferings behoved to be the curse that we elect sinners should have suffered So when he is called their Cautioner it tells that he undertook their debt and his laying down of his life is the performance and fulfilling of his undertaken Suretyship and Cautionry And considering that their debt was exacted of him and that he was arraigned before Gods Tribunal as their Surety in their room and that this could be for nothing else but to answer for them as being their Cautioner His sufferings behoved to be intended as a satisfaction for their sins For the Elects sins were not the cause why Pilate the people of the Jews and the Scribes and Pharisees pursued him to death but for our sins he was sisted before God's Tribunal and being our Cautioner he was called to reckon for them and they were put upon his account or score 2. It 's clear also from the names that his sufferings get in the Scripture where they are called the price of our Redemption a buying of us a propitiation for our sins that pacified God Rom. 3.25 and 1 John 2.2 A Sacrifice often and Ransome Matth. 20.28 The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many that is for all his Elect people to relieve them from the bondage they were under which plainly shews the respâ—ct that his sufferings had to our sins that they were a propitiation for them to God 3. It 's clear if we consider that Christs death as to its object is for the transgressions of all Gods people of all the Eâ—ect that lived before he suffered whether they died in their infancy or at age and for all that lived or shall live and die after his suffering to the end of the world Now what benefite could redound to them that died ere Christ came in the flesh by his sufferings if it were as Socinians say for his death could not sure be a pattern
land of the living fâ—r the transgression of my people was he stricken THere is nothing that concerns us more than to be well acquainted with the doctrine of Christ Jesus and his Sufferings The Prophet hath therefore been much in shewing what Christ suffered in the former words and hath largely described his Humiliation to Judgment and Death for saith he he was cut off out of the land of the living In the words read he answers two important questions concerning his sufferings 1. To what end were all these sufferings he answers that they were for transgressions even to be a satisfaction to Justice for them The 2. Question is For whose sins were the sufferings of Christ to be a satisfaction It is answered expresly in the words for the transgression of my people was he stricken or the stroak was upon him it was for the sins of the Elect and of the Elect only for this is the Prophets scope who having spoken of Christs sufferings and death holds forth the meritorious and procuring cause and end thereof and this is the result design and sum of all even to be a satisfaction for Gods elect People for as we shew by Gods People are not meaned all men in the world nor the Jews only for Christ hath many sheep beside them but it 's Gods peculiar People in opposition to the multitude who are not his People The Doctrine or rather the branch of the Doctrine we left at was this and it 's exclusive that Christ's death is only intended to be a price for the sins of God's elect People and was laid down with respect to them his death and sufferings are to be looked upon and considered only as a price and satisfaction for their sins and for the sins of none other or thus Jesus Christ in his suffering and in the laying down of his life had a respect to the elect and intended the removing of the sins and transgressions of God's elect people only and of none other we know nothing that we can make of these words nor of the Prophets scope in them but this who as he hath been describing Christs sufferings in all other respects so doth he in this to wit in respect of the persons for whom he suffered and of the meritorious cause and end of his sufferings for says the Text for the transgressions of my people that is of Gods elect people was he stricken This branch of the Doctrine is of great weight and concernment in the whole strain of Grace for if this march-stone be lifted and removed Grace becomes common and as some call it universal and so to be in effect no grace at all for Grace hath a peculiar channel of its own wherein it runs towards a certain select number and not towards all I do not mean of grace taken in a large sense for so all men as they are partakers of any mercy or of common favours may be said to have grace extended to them but I mean God's special grace favour and good will which is extended only to the Elect for whose sins Christ suffered the right bounding of which Doctrine shews forth both God's soveraignty in the dispensing of grace and the freeness thereof in communicating and manifesting of it to whom he will and which thus considered is especially engaging of the hearts of them on whom he pleaseth to manifest it Ere I come to confirm this branch of the Doctrine take a word or two of advertisement in the entry 1. That Christ's death may be considered two ways 1. In respect of it self and as abstracting from the Covenant of Redemption wherein it is contrived as to all the circumstances of it in which sense as his death and sufferings are of infinite value worth so they are as Divines use to speak of value to redeem the whole world if God in his design and decree had so ordered and thought meet to extend it 2. We are to consider his sufferings and death as a price agreed upon in the Covenant or Bargain of Redemption wherein these two or three things concur 1. God's proposal 2. Christ's acceptation and design in laying down his life 3. The Fathers acquiescing therein and declaring himself well pleased therewith we speak not here of Christ's death in the first respect that is as abstracting from the Covenant for in that respect he might have laid down his life for few or moe for some or for all if it had been so intended but we speak of it in the second respect as it 's a price agreed upon in God's purpose and Christ's design and in God's acceptation and thus we say that his death is only intended as a satisfaction and recompence for the sins of the Elect and was laid down for them only 2ly We may consider Christ's sufferings and death in the fruits of it either as they respect common favours and mercies common gifts and means of grace which are not peculiar and saving but common to Believers with others being bestowed upon professors in the visible Church or as they are peculiar and saving such as Faith Justification Adoption c. Now when we say that Christ's sufferings and death are a price for the sins of his People we exclude not the Reprobate simply from temporal and common favours and mercies that come by his death they may have and actually have common gifts and works of the Spirit the means of Grace which are some way effects and fruits of the same Covenant but we say that the Reprobate partake not of saving Mercy and that Christs death is a satisfaction only for the Elect and that none others get pardon of Sin Faith Repentance c. by it but they only it was intended for none others and this we clear and confirm from and by these following grounds and arguments which we shall shortly hint at The 1. Argument is drawen from this same assertion of the Prophet thus If Christs death be only a satisfaction for the sins of Gods People then it is not a satisfaction for the sins of all but it 's a satisfaction only for the sins of Gods People therefore not for all for his People are not all men or all men are not his People but his People are a peculiar People separate from others in God's purpose and decree as we cleared before from John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me and the Text says expresly for the transgressions of my people was he stricken he respected the sins of God's People in accepting of the Bargain and in laying down his Life and for their sins only God accepted him yea the very mentioning of them thus here secludes all others and we must expone them exclusively as taking in none others and must look upon the things spoken of them as agreeing to no other even as it 's said Heb. 4. There remains therefore a rest to the people of God which is certainly exclusive of all others and hence when our Lord
and yet that he got not that which he bought and seing the event tells plainly that all are not justified and brought to Heaven it cannot be that he laid down his life a Ransom for all but it must be for the Elect only that he died 2. To say that God exacts double payment of one and the self same Deâ—â— that he exacts from men over again that which Christ payed already for them reflects on the Justice and Wisdom of God and to say that a person that goes to hell shall be no less in his common then another that goes to Heaven is no less absurd for the Apostle says Rom. 5.10 If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life where he plainly insinuates that if a person be bought by Christs death it cannot be that he can perish for if the price be payed by his death and so the greater thing be done much more will the lesser we shall be saved by his life now this reasoning could have no force if Christ died for any that shall perish yea vers 11. of this Chapter it 's said By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities where it 's clear that as many and no moâ— whose iniquities Christ hath taken on and born shall be justified for the one is given as a reason of the other and there should be no consequence to his justifying of them from his bearing of their iniquitries if he could by his death bear their iniquities whom he never justified A 6th ground is taken from the end of the Covenant which is to put a difference betwixt special Grace peculiar to some and severe Justice to others and particularly and especially in Christs death which makes out what we affirm for if when Christ died many were actually damned it cannot be said that he died for these not that it was with them as with Believers before his death for it cannot he said that the intention of his death in the Covenant could be beyond what it was at his death the one being the execution of the other And sure it could not be intended at his death for the damned For it would seem a very absurd thing to say that when Christ was to go and lay down his life that he was going to suffer for many that were suffering for their own sins in Hell as many reprobat sinners were before he came in the flesh Can any imagine a possibility of such a thing Our Lord was not to be so indifferent in the administration of Grace as to cast it thus away And can any reasonably think that at one and the same time the same punishment shall be exacted from Christ and from the persons themselves for whom he suffered It is possible that this could be intended in the Covenant of Redemption Or is there free access to Justice to pursue Christ as Cautioner when the Principal Debtor is actually siezed upon Indeed when the Principal is set free as the Elect were before his death there is access to pursue the Cautioner for their debt But no such thing can be alledged for others that were already damned But their being taken hold of by Justice is a proof that he answered not for them nor payed their debt 7. We may argue thus If Christ died for all then either for all indifferently and so all were alike obliged to Christ Or for some more absolutely that must be satisfied for and for others conditionally on supposition that they should believe But this last is absurd for 1. The Scripture makes not two considerations of Christs death 2. It were absurd to say that now it cannot be told whether Christ died for such an one or not 3. Either that condition is bought to them or not If it be bought then it must be fulfilled If it be not bought then 1. That person cannot be said to be bought because all needful for his Redemption is not bought and payed for 2. Either that condition can be fulfilled by themselves or not if it may be by themselves then is Free-will established and none are absolutely redeemed If it cannot be fulfilled by themselves and yet bought by him for them then they are determined for another end to wit not to get it and what wisdom can there be in such a Redemption as this The 1. Use serves for clearing and confirming of a Gospel truth of the Covenant of Redemption and for the refutation of a contrary error As we have somewhat of many errors practically in our hearts so have we this amongst the rest that Christ died for all sinners which fosters peoples security and their groundless hope of admission to Heaven But here we see that our Lord Jesus in laying down his life intended the satisfaction of Divine Justice for none but for his Elect people and if so there are many for whom he never intended the benefite of his death There are three particular Branches of the error which this Doctrine confutes 1. Their opinion which is more lax and takes in the sins of all men and women in the world and giveth them an equal share in Christs sufferings as if in his intention in laying down of his life and in Gods purpose he had suffered and died for all for him that goes to Hell as well as for him that goes to Heaven But if Christ stand as Cautioner for the Elect only then sure this opinion cannot hold for all are not Gods Elect And therefore all are not indifferently redeemed And though it may be that some of you think that this looks liker grace yet it s not only absurd as being contrary to truth but its absurd also even with respect to grace For 1. It makes grace a common thing a man that is in Hell to be as much obliged to Christ as one that is in Heaven And though it plausibly pretends to give grace abroad and large extent yet it takes away the power of it For if grace be thus largely extended it 's not grace that makes the application of grace but the free will of the Creature For grace according to this opinion leaves men to be saved or not as they please and leaves it self to be overcome by mans will And therefore these errours divide not but go together hand in hand For where grace is made so large free-will is made to have a dominion over it and thus the weight of grace and of election are laid upon it 2. It lessenâ—â— the estimation of Gods grace in the minds of people for thus they think little of Heaven and suppose that it is an easie matter to win at it and it breeds in them a fearlessness of Hell and of Gods Wrath And if many of you had not drunken in this errour practically ye would not be so confident of nor so obstinatly maintain your hope of Heaven without
forbid wo unto them that make such an use of this truth nor do I speak of it to allow any to dispense with or to give way to themselves to sin for we shew before that Christ is here proposed as our Patern and we are bidden purifie our selves as he is pure But this we say that none living here on the earth are without sin the most perfect men that are on this side Eternity carry about with them a body of death called five or six times sin Rom. 7. that hath actual lustings and a power as a law of sin to lead captive and that makes the man guilty before God Use 2. For reproof to two sorts of enemies to this Truth 1. These inveterate enemies of the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ to wit the Papists that black train that follows Antichrist who plead for a perfection according to the law as attainable in this life saying down two grounds to prove this perfection 1. That the inward lustings or first risings and moâ—ions at least of the body of Death are no sins And 2. Their exponing of the law so as it may suit to their own apprehension and opinion yet so as they say that every Believer or godly Person wins not to this perfection to keep the law wholly but only some of their Grandees This the Lord hath mercifully banished out of the Reformed Churches as Inconsistent with the experience of the Saints who find a law in their members warring against the law of their mind and leading them captive to the law of sin that is in their members inconsistent with the Scriptures which clear that none have attained nor do attâ—in perfection in this life but the contrary that in many things we offend all and inconsistent with Grace that leaves sinners still in Châ—ists common and debt as standing in need of his imputed Righteousness This perfection they place in inherent Holiness and habitual Grace but we insist not on it 2ly Another sort of enemies reproved here are the old Familists who are owned by these who are called Antinomians several of which miserable persons are now going up and down amongst us who say that the People of God have no sin in them wherein they are worse then Papists for Papists make it peculiar to some only but they make it common to all Believers And Papists make their perfection to consist in inherent holiness but they make the nature of sin to be changed and say that sin is no more so in a Believer even though it be contrary to the Law of God We grant indeed that the people of God are free of sin in these respects 1. In this respect that no sin can condemn them they are not under the Law but under Grace in that respâ—ct Rom. 8.1 It 's said that There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ 2. In his respect that they cannot fall into that sin which as unto death as is clear 1 John 5.17 18 And 3. in this respect that they cannoâ—â—o sin â—s to ly or be under thâ—â—â—â—gn and â—omiâ—ion of sin as is evident Rom. 6 14. The Believer delights in thâ— Lâ—w â—f God according to the inner man Râ—m 7.22 And is not in sin neither doth câ—mmit sin as the unbeliever doth for the seed of God abideth in him and is kept from being involved in that which hiâ— corrupt nature inclines the Believer to So then what the Scriptuâ—e speaks of the Believers being free of sin is to be understood in one of these respects But to â—ay 1. That a Believer cannot sin at all sad expâ—rience and the practice of the Saints is a proof of the contrary Or 2. To say that sin in a Believer is no sin because of his faith in Christ is as contrâ—â—y to Scripture For the Law of God is the same to the Believer and the unbeliever and sin is the same in both Adultery is Adultery and Murâ—her is Murther in David as well as in â—ny other man Sure when Christ bade his Disciples pray for forgivenness of sin daily he taught them no such Doctrine as to account their sins to be no sins For if so they should neither repent of sin nor seek the pardon of it as some are not a shamed to say they should not That which we aim at is to â—lear it to be Christs prerogative only to be free of sin none oâ—her in this life can claim it And to teach Bâ—lievers to carry about with them daily all along their mortal life that which is for their good even the sense â—f sin I know it is now an up cast â—rom some pretended perfectionists to the people of God that they think and say that they have sin and aâ—e not perfect And we are by these men called Antichristian Priests and Jesuits because we Preach that Doctrine Buâ— let it be soberly considered whether it doth better agree with Papists and Jesuits to say that Believers are without sin or to say that they have sin They who say that Believers or the Saints have no sin do agree in this with the Papists who maintain a perfection of holiness or a conformity to the Law in some in this life and who deny the lustings of the body of death to be sin without which opinâ—on though most gross they would not nor could with the least shadow of reason mainâ—ain their Doctrine of Juâ—tification by Works And yet some now among us will needs call us Popish because we say that we have sin and that none of God's people are â—ithout sin in this life Tâ—is seems to be very strâ—â—ge But that wâ—ich hath been the thought of some sharp-sighted and sagacious men since the bâ—ginning of our confusions to wit that Popery is a working as an under-hand design is by this and other things mâ—de to be more and more apparent Is there any thing more like Popery working in a mystery yea more Popish then to say that the motions of corruption in Believers are no sins thaâ— a man or woman may attain to perfection in holiness here and yet to carry on this with that subtilty as confidently to averr that it's Popery to say the contrary Nay if the Scâ—iptures they make use of in their Papers or Pamphlets be well considered we will find that not only a perfection in Holinâ—â—s and Good works is pleaded for but a possibility of fulfilling the Law and Covenant oâ— Works as namely 1 Pet. 1.15 1 John 3.3 and 5.5 and Matth. 5. ult Will ye say they call your selves Saints that are not purified even as he is pure And will ye câ—ll your selves Believers that havâ— not overcome the world c As if all that is commanded duty might be or were perfectly reached in this life and as if no diâ—tinction betwixt begun yea considerably advanced holiness and intire perfection were to be adâ—itted That for which I mark this is to shew that the design of Popery seems to be on foot the Devil
with you either think on the right way which is by putting Christ in in your Room and laying of Religion to the heart in sad earnest or dream not of coming to Heaven A 2d Sort are they who are not altogether so prophane as the others but will condemn them as indeed the practice of many is loathsome they will it may be Pray in their Families and will not be Drunk neither will they Swear nor Lye and they will walk blamelesly and upon these grounds they promise Heaven to themselves very confidently and yet they come not through the sense of their sinfull and cursed State by Nature to close with Christ by Faith and to make use of His Sacrifice such err on the other hand Oh! when shall we be at this not to neglect the study of Holiness and yet not to rest on it to the prejudice of this one Offering This were a a practice suitable to and worthy of Professors of the Gospel to be seriously aiming at all Duties of Holiness that are called for and yet to be building all their expectation of any good from God on the Sacrifice of Christ alone never coming to God without bring it along with them and looking through it to be accepted before Him there n eds no more and no other thing that we can bring will do our turn nor be taken off our hand if this be neglected The Lord Himself teach us this way SERMON XXXVII ISAIAH LIII X Vers 10. When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand WHat ever the Men of the World think of it it is not an easie matter to get the Justice of God Satisfied for Sin and to get the Wrath and Curse that Men by Sin have drawn on themselves removed Offerings of Bullocks and Goats thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl will not do it the Redemption of the Soul is so precious that it ceaseth for ever that way and by all such Means Therefore the Lord in His wisdom hath found out the Means and in His Grace and Love hath Condescended that His own dear Son His Fellow shall as a Lamb without Spot be a Sin-offering to take away the Sins of His Elect World and this is the great Consideration under which we should take up the Death of Christ as making Himself therein an Offâ—ring for Sin and interposing Himself to satisfie Divine Justice that forgiveness might be made forthcoming to us The Doctrine which we proposed to be spoken to the last day was this That Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering by which Sin can be taken away and God so Satisfied as to forbear the Punishment of the Sinner and to admit him to Peace and Friendship with Him If we would Enumerat all things imaginable and Invent Wayes and Means without number to remove Sin or to make a Sinners Peace with God there is no other Means but this that will do it As we have it Heb. 10. Christ Jesus by his once offering up of himself perfects for ever these who are sanctified and Act. 4. There is no other name given under heaven whereby sinners can be saved but the name of Jesus The Use is To Commend and to Demonstrat to us all the necessity of the Use making of this one Offering of Christ if He be the one Offering to take away Sin and if no other will be accepted then there is a necessity that He in His Offering of Himself be made use of If all be under Sin and if by the Law Sin and Death be knit inseperably together as it is said the wages of sin is death and if Freedom from Sin and Wrath and Peace with God be necessary then there is a necessity that Sinners be serious in this matter to get a Title to and Interest in this one Offering and Sacrifice of Christ In the prosecuting of the Use we shall speak a little to these four things 1. To some Grounds or Reasons to shew the Necessity of Sinners use making of Christ's Sacrifice or Offering 2. To this what it is to make use of this Offering 3. We shall give a Word of Advertisement as to some mistakes that are about it 4. We shall give some Differencing Characters or Evidences of a Person that is making right Use of this Offering for obtaining of Pardon and for making of this Peace with God For the First That is the Reasons to evince the necessity of it The 1. of them is that which we hinted at just now If Men were not lying under Sin and obnoxious to Wrath and if there were any other Sin-offering or any other Way or Mean to escape the Curse and Wrath of God due for Sin there were no such necessity But seing that all Men are under Sin and under the Curse of God and His Wrath because of it and seing there is no other thing that can take away Sin then there is an absolute necessity seriously to make use of and to have an Interest in this Sin-offering 2. Consider that the great part of Men in the World and even of them that hears this Gospel do not indeed make use of this Offering though they be some way under the Conviction that they are Sinners and that this is the only Sin offering to take away Sin and we suppose if ye were all put to it ye could not deny but ye are Sinners and that nothing can take away Sin but Christ's Offering up of Himself as a Sacrifice to satisfie Justice Though some be that grosly ignorant that they will speak of some other thing yet generally these that own and maintain the Truth of the Gospel are under a Conviction that no other thing can take away Sin and yet even amongst these there are many that never make use of Christ and of His Sacrifice to take away their Sins to remove Wrath and make their Peace with God There were many Jews who by the dayly Sacrifices which Typed forth this one Offering of Christ were taught that there was no other way to come by Pardon and Peace with God but there use making of it and yet the most part of them in going about these Sacrifices were slighters of this one Sacrifice Therefore the Apostle sayes of them Rom. â—0â— â—3 That being ignorant of Gods righteousness they went about to establish their own righteousness and did not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God It is as certain that many that hear this Gospel and professe Christ to be the only Sin-offering will be disowned of Him on this account Therefore many are brought in saylng Luk. 13. did we not hear thee preach in our streets have we not eaten and drunken in thy presence to whom He will say depart from me I never knew you ye workers of iniquity Because as if He had said what ever ye profesied ye never made Peace with God through
think of injoying of Heaven and Glory ye would think also whence it came to be thus with you O! think on that Rock out of which ye are hewen as ye are Believers and are intitled to Life And this will lay the Natural Pride which Alas too often Believers have going along with their Hope of Life as if they were something better by Nature then others because they have hope to come to Heaven but think this also with your selves that there are no thanks to you but to Him who loved you and washed you from your sins in his own blood which should make you walk softly and with a stoppâ—d mouth and in this Case every thought of your Title unto and of your Hope of Heaven would be both singularly pleasant and profitable to you Use 3. See here that which maketh the Glad Tydings of Christ's Death wonderfully Comfortable It 's much that Christ came and Suffered but if ye add this that His Design in Suffering was to beget Sinners to a New and Spiritual Life tâ— raise and quicken them that were Dead in in Sins and Trespasses to pay their Debt and to Cancell their Obligation It makes it to be much more wonderfull Alas we have great want of Spiritual Affections that are not more Affected with this even with this That the Father should send His Son and that the Son should come into the World and wherefore That He might have a Seed that poor Bodies that were Dead and without Life might be quickned and that such as had no hope of Heaven might have it That in such a way an entry into Heaven should be made to Sinners this is the wonder do ye Believers indeed believe this that the Lord's Design in all the Work of Redemption was to bring Dead Sinners to Life This is it that makes Christ get the Name of a Saviour That the Shepherd being smitten God might turn his hand on the little Ones And therefore as a 4th Use See here a good ground whereupon to Preach to you by the Death of Christ the Offer of Life and the Remission of Sin as the Apostle hath it Act. 13.39 40. Be it known therefore to you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not he justified by the law of Moses And there is never a Text that speaks of the end of Christ's Sufferings but readily it some way layes a ground how a Sinner may get Life And it is as it were a Proclamation to Sinners to make the right use of what is offered to them If our Lord Jesus had not Suffered there had not been a warrand for us to speak of Life to you There had been no Treaty with Sinners no Door opened for access to Heaven no ground for any to call God Father But on the Contraire Christ having Suffered and Satisfied Justice it givâ—s us Ground to make this Procâ—amation to you Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you forgivenness of sins And these two put together 1. That there is a sufficient Price laid down for the Satisfying of the Justice of God for the Debt of Elect Sinners 2. That this is the Lords Dâ—signe in laying of the Prâ—ce down even to Procure and to Communicat Life to them according to that of John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life And that of John 12.32 And if I be lifted up I will draw all men after me This demonstrats that there is a Sufficient-Warrand to make use of Christ for pardon of Sin and for obtaining of Life through Him For readily the Exception is One of Two Either 1. That the Price will not â—o the Turn and that cannot be said for the Death of Christ is a Price Sufficient or 2. That Sinners know nor what is the Lorâ—'s Purpose in it This Text holds out that and tells us Iâ— is that he may have a seed This is the Sum of the Covenant of Redemption saâ—eth the Father Son if thou wilt lay down thy Life Thou shalt see a seed that shall have Life through thy Sufferings and the Lord would never have given His Son to die if He had not minded the Salvation of Sinners and to beget and promove Life in them through His Sufferâ—ngs And to what end is the Gospel Preached by which Life and immortality are brought to light But that what He hath bought may be appâ—yed to Sinners And therefore as a 5th Use We beseech you to concur with Christ in the Design of His laying down of His Life Is it not think ye great Ingratitude to Him and great Cruelty to your selves that when the Lord hath Designed such a thing by the laying down of His Life That ye should as far as ye can stand in the way of it Now His Designe is to have many in His Common for Life â—hat He may have a Seed and to have Poor Sinners that are Dead and Lifelesse in themselves taking with their Sin and coming to Him to get Justice Satisfied and a Right to Life by His Offering And is this a Prejudicial Designe or Unprofitable to Sinnerâ— Why then should ye stand in the way of that When Our Lord hath Designed Sinners good and hath been content to lay down His Life to make Life possible to you when all His Dâ—signe in dying is to have Sinners saved by their betaking themselves to Hâ—m and that by their betaking themselvâ—s to Him the Second Adam They may get a Râ—ght to Life Transferred to them â—s iâ— not Folâ—y and Madness for Sinneâ—s to obstruct what they can this His Design The Apostle makes use of this Argument 2 Cor. 5. â—8 19. He hath given us the word of reconciliation that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them we therefore as ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Châ—ist stâ—ad be ye reconciled to God And what is the reason For he was made sin for us who knew no sin And or this â—nd That we might be made the righteousness of God in him And is not â—his the samâ— Argumâ—nt that â—s in the Text Our Lord was made 〈◊〉 Sin-offâ—ring that Hâ— might see a Seed And 〈◊〉 â—o then we would intâ—eat you if the Blâ—eâ—iâ—g Bowels of Chriâ—â— can have any weâ—ght with you and if you would do Him a Pleasure not to marr His Designe as fâ—r as ye can for He will infrustrably accomplish His Designe And that is to have Souls brought in to make Sinners Peace with God and that they may make use of His Sufferings for that End Need we use Arguments to perswade you to this Whâ—ch is so much for your own good and welfare even to save your Souls To come and be
the mutualnesse of the Terms of it and that though as to our conceiving and up-taking of it there be something first and something last yet with God there is no such thing but it is one present Act. Thâ— promises made to the Mediator are in two exprâ—ssiâ—â—s with an inference in the Word Therâ—fore knitting this to what went before I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong In short the similitudes here used are taken from Conquerours and Victors who having been in a War and fight and having defeat and routted all their Enemies and put them off the Field have a notable Out-gate Victory and Triumph and a great Spoil as the Fâ—â—iâ— of the War And so the meaning is That the Mâ—diator by His undertaking to Sâ—tâ— fie for the Elect should have a great Fâ—ght and Combat with many Enemies but He should losse nothing by it He shou d have a notable Our gate an excellent Victory and glorious Triumph great glory and spoil So that as there was never War like Hâ—s nor Enemies like these that He had to encounter with so there should never be such Victory Triumph and Spoil as our Lord Jesus should have The word Portion is not in the Original buâ— well supplied It is only I will divide him many as the Word is often used and He shall divide the spoil with the strong That is He shall iâ— dividing the Spoil be above the strongest The Words infer and take in these Three 1. A great defeat of and Victory over all the Mediators Enemies the Devil Death and the Curse He gets a great victory over them and gives them a great defeat so that they are quite beat off the Field as dividing the spoil imports Psal 68.12 She that remained at home divided the spoil and Isa 9.3 As men rejoyce when they divide the spoil 2. The great number of Captives that our Lord in His Victory and Triumph takes and brings off that is He gets a great bootie which is that spoken of in the words before By his knowledge shall many be justified and it 's that which is exprest in that Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive that is these that were formerly captives thou hast redeemed from their capivity and led them captive that carried others captive as the people of God pray Psal 126.4 Turn again our captivity 3. It takes in the excellent Victory the great Triumph and Glory that the Mediator should have by this means He is exalted above every name that is named that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of thinge in heaven of things in earth and of things under the earth For further clearing of it we shall recommend to you Two or Three places in which it 's like there is an allusion to this as that Col. 2.14 15. Blotting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us taking it out of the way and nailling it to his cross tearing as it were the Obligation that the Law had over the Elect by His paying of their Debt And having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it There is His Victory and Triumph He combats with subdues and trods under foot all His and His peoples Enemies by satisfying the Justice of God for the Elects Debt and spoils them of many Souls that were led captive by them and triumphed openly over them declaring Himself to have gotten the Victory in a most Majestick manner A 2d place is Phil. 2.8 9. Being found in fashâ—on as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto the death even to the death of the cross wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above eveâ—y name that at the name of Jâ—sus every knee should bow of things in heaven in earth and under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father This is His Victory Triumph and Glory such as none in Heaven or Earth ever had or shall have the like A 3d. Place is that Ephes 2.21 Hâ—â—alâ—ed him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and given him to be head over all things to the church Whether they be Devils or good Angels or Men Sâ—ints militant or triumphant He is above them all all are made subject to Him and He is the head of His Church The expressions run in different Persons The first is in the First Person I will divide him a portion It 's a Promise of God the Father to the Mediator for His attaining the Victory as it 's said Ephes 1.20 God raised him from the dead The 2d Expression is in the 3d. Person He shall divide the spoil To shew that the Mediator God man concurred in the attaining the Victory Therefore Rom. 1.4 He is said to raise himself and in thâ—t it 's said I will divide and He shall divide It is to hold out the Mediator His attaining and possessing of what was promised and to shew that there is nothing promised to the Mediator but actually He is and shall be put in the full possession of it The last part of the Words holds out the conditions on the Mediators side in Four Expressions 1. Because he hath poured out his soul unto death That is because He willingly condescended to die He yetted or poured out His Soul to death 2. He was numbred with the transgressours He had a reproached and shameful Life and a reproached and cursed Death He was thought the worst of the World so that Barrabas a murtherer was preferred unto Him It also points out the respect that His Death had to a Satisfaction for the Sins of the Elect He was legally numbred and counted amongst transgressours though He was no Transgressour 3. He bare the sins of many which expones the former and sayes this much That noâ— only He simply died and died a shâ—meful Death but that He died for this end to bear and by His bearing to remove the Sins of the Elect for it relates to the many that in the former Words are said to be justified by his knowledge And it cannot be but these many shall be Justified because He did bear their Sins as to the Punishment and Curse due to them and whosoever Sins are born by Christ these are and shall be Justified and therefore He must be Victorious and have a glorious triumph and out-gate because He layes down His Life for His Sheep as it is John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life and take it up again And by the way it is a strange
and me in the Covenant of Redemption when as theirs is love from bottom even to brim whatever mixture may sometimes be of paternal and domestick Justice proper and peculiar to God's own Family and which as the Head and Father thereof he exerciseth therein not so much as one gut or scruple of vindictive wrath being left therein Ah! it 's both a sin and shame that there shoâ—â—d be with such even with such so much shyness and shrinking to drink after him in the cup of his Cross especially considering that there is such a high degree of honour put upon the suffering Believer for Christ above and beyond what is put on the simple Believer in him so that in the Scripture accompt the suffering Believer is not only but also according to what the Apostle saith Philip. 1.29 To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake Eighthly Concerning what mighty obligation lyeth on Believers to mourn and weep to be sad and sorrowful for sin how can they look on him whom they have thus bruised wounded and pierced by their sins without the tear in their eye without mourning for him and being in bitterness as a man is for his first-born and for his only begotten son when they think as all of them on serious consideration will find reason to think that if their sins keeped the tryst and rendezvous when all the sins of all the Elect did meet and were laid on him then sure there came no greater company and more numerous troop of sins to that solemn rendezvous from any of all the redeemed then came from them and that he had not a heavier load and burden of the sins of any then he had of theirs whereby he was even pressed as a cart is pressed down under the sheaves and was made most grievously to groan even with the groanings of a deadly wounded man and that if he was wounded and pierced by their iniquities then surely he was more deeply wounded and pierced by the iniquities of none then by theirs O! what mourning should this cause to them even such mourning as was at Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo on the occasion of the sad slaughter and death of that good and desirable king Josiah this is indeed one of the most genuine and kindly one of the most powerful and prevalent one of the sweetest and strongest springs of and motives to true Gospel-repentance sorrow and mourning for sin Ninthly Concerning the notable and non-such obligation that lyeth on Believers to study the crucifixion and mortification of sin Was it not their sins that crucified and killed precious Jesus Christ the prince of life was it not their sins that violently drove the Nails thorow his blessed hands and feet and thrust the Spear thorow his side to the bringing forth of water and blood shall they not in their burning zeal and love to him and in the height of holy indignation at themselves be avenged on that which brought such vengeance on him shall they not seriously seek to be the death of that which brought him to death and whereof the death and destruction was one of his great designs therein on which he was so intent that in the prosecution of it he did amidst his dying pangs and agonies breathe out his soul O! let it never be heard for shame that ever any of them shall find the least sweetness in that accursed thing that was so bitter to him that ever any of them shall be found to dally with or to hug that serpent and viper in their bosom that so cruelly stung him to death But this being the great subject of these following Sermons wherein the Preacher being in a good measure wise Eccles 12.10 11. hath sought to find out acceptable words and words I hope of uprightness and truth O that they may be to the Readers as goads and nails fastened by him who is the great master of assemblies I shall insist no further only I think I may humbly say that to my knowledge none have preached on this whole Chapter to better purpose every way many may have done vertuously but it 's probable he will be found to excell them all nay if I should say that for any thing I know this Book for so much is amongst the best Books of this nature the World hath seen I suppose hardly will any judicious Christian thorowly exercised to Godliness after he hath read it all over and pondered it think that I have greatly if at all hyperbolized There are in these choice Sermons deepths as it were for Elephants to swim in whereof his surprâ—â—sing sublimely spiritual and very deep diving discourses concerning the Nature of Christs Intercession and the right improvement of it in the last six Sermons is a notable instance and shallows for Lambs to wade in Heb. 5.13 14. There is in them milk for babes in Christ and stronger meat for such as are of full age who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil Nay I may in a good measure say of these Sermons as it 's said of the learned Discourses of a late great man That in the doctrinal part of several of them ye will find the deepth of Poleâ—ical Divinity and in his inferences from thence the sweetness of Practical somethings that may exercise the profoundest Schollar and others that may edifie the weakest Christian nothing readily is more nervous and strong then his Reasonings and nothing more sweetly and powerfully affecting then his Applications There is in them much for information of the Judgment for warming of the Affections and for direction toward a Gospel-becoming Conversation there is much for clearing and expeding the doubts and difficulties of more weak and more darkned Christians and much for edifying confirming and establishing of more growen ones there is much for conviction reproof warning humbling for stirring up and provoking to the serious exercise of Godliness and much for the comforting and refreshing of such as stand in need and are capable of Consolation there is much for discovering rouzing awakening and all â—raming of carnal secure unsound hollow-hearted and hypocritical professours of Religion and much for beating and hammering down of the pride of conceity self-justifying Professors much for training on of young beginners and much for advancing and carrying on in their Christian course such as are entered into it and have made any tollerable progress therein In a woed 2 Tim. 2.15 he doth in a great measure approve himself to God as a work-man that needs not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth and as a skilful and faithful Steward giving to every one his portion in due kind measure and season It may be some Readers will think that there are in these Sermons several co-incidencies of purposes and repetitions To which I shall but presume to say that beside that there is a great
to His Death what benefite redâ—unds to them from His Offices of King Priest and Prophet to the slaying of Sin and quickening to holy Duties what benefite or fruit from His Death Alace no more with most then if He had never died what profite or real influence as to any Spiritual change do any to count upon find and think ye all these things to be but words They know Him not that feel not something of the efficacy of His Death and Resurrection in themselves 3. Observe That the Report concerning Christ is the main subject and eâ—rand that has been and is and will be common to all the Ministers of the Gospel to the end of the World It 's our Report it was the Report of all the Prophets Act. 10.43 To him bear all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth on him should have remission of sins they all agree and have a joint Testimony in these 1. In one Subject Christ and the same things concerning Him as that the pardon of Sin is to be gotten in Him and through Faith in Him and no other way c. 2. In one Commission they have all one Commission though they be not all equal all are not Apostles yet all are Ambassadours there is the same Authority for us to report and you to receive the Gospel as if Isaiah or Paul were preaching the Authority depending on the Commission and not on the persons of Men who carry it 3. In one common End which they all have and in one common Object they are sent to 4. In this that they all hold of one common Master being Gifts of one and the same Mediator Eph. 4. When he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men to some Apostles c. The first Use is To teach you not to think the less of the Testimony or matter testified because of these that testifie to you if Isaiah or Paul were testifying to you ye would get no other Tydings though their life and way would be of another sort and stamp then ours are alace for the most part we are warranded as well as they to make Christ known to you therefore take heed of rejecting this Testimony of this Christ that we bear witness unto it is the same Christ that the Law and the Prophets bear witness to There is not another name given under heaven whereby a sinner can be saved it 's through Him that whosoever be on Him may receive remission of sins in this ye have not onely us but the Prophets and Apostles to deall with yea Jesus Christ and God Himself and the rejecting of us will be found to be the rejecting of them it 's the same Testimony on the matter that it was in Isaiah his time and therefore tremble and fear all ye that slight the Gospel ye have not us for your Party but all the Prophets and Isaiah among the rest and our Lord Jesus Christ who hath said He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me there will be many aggravations of the guilt of an Unbeliever and this will be a main one even the Testimony of all the Prophets that concur in this Truth which they have rejected take heed to this all ye Atheists that know not what it is to take with Sin and all ye Hypocrites that coin and counterfeit a Religion of your own and all ye legal Persons that lean to your own righteousness what will ye say when it shall be found that ye have rejected all these Testimonies ye must either say ye counted them false Witnesses which ye will not dare to say or that ye accounted them true and yet would not receive their Testimony and the best of these will be found sad enough for if ye counted them true why did ye not believe them this will be a very pungent dilemma Use 2. For comfort to poor Believers they have good ground to receive and rest upon Jesus Christ there is never a Prophet Apostle or Preacher of the Gospel but he hath sealed this Truth concerning Christ what needs any sinner scar at Him or be fearful to close with Him will ye give credit to the Testimony of Isaiah and of Peter Acts 10.43 and of the rest of the Prophets and Apostles then receive their Report and set your selves to be among the number of Believers that their Testimony may be rested on We are perswaded there is one of two that will follow on this Doctrine either a strong encouragement to and confirmation of believing and quietly resting on Jesus Christ for pardon of sin or a great ground of aggravation of and expostulation with you for your guilt who care not whether ye receive this Report or not We shall say no more for the time but God bless this to you SERMON II. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THE Prophet Isaiah is very solicitous about the fruit of his Preaching when he hath preached concerning Christ as indeed it is not enough for Ministers to preach and for People to hear except some fruit follow and now when he hath been much in Preaching and looketh to others that have been much in that work he sadly regrates the little fruit it had and would have among them to whom Christ was and should be spoken of a thing that in the entry should put us to be serious lest this complaint of Isaiah stand on record against us seeing he complains of the Hearers of the Gospel not only in his own time but in our time also We told you there were four things in this first part of the Verse 1. The great errand that Ministers have to a People it is to report concerning Christ and beside what we observed from this Head before looking to the Scope we shall observe further 1. The end that Ministers should have before them in preaching Christ and the Gospel is That the Hearers of it may be gained to Jesus Christ by hearing so as they may be brought to believe on Him it 's in a word to gain them to saving Faith in Christ 2. It is implyed That Jesus Christ is only to be proposed as the Object of Faith to be rested on by the Hearers of the Gospel and as the only ground of their Peace there is no name that can be mentioned for the salvation of Souls but this Name only ly and there is no other Gospel can be proposed but that which holdeth Him out to People 3. Observe which is much the same with the former Observation and to which we would speak a little more particularly That by the preaching of the Gospel Jesus Christ is laid before the Hearers of it as the Object of their Faith and proposed to be believed upon by them else there would be no ground of this complaint against them but where-ever this Gospel is preached there is Christ is laid as it were at the
day cursing in Hell under the Wrath of God that they let slip and passed over so many golden Opportunities of the Gospel without improvement and know ye not that it will come to the same sad pass with you if ye do not receive it Do Men live always Is there not an appointed time for all Men upon Earth If before we have savingly exercised Faith on Him for making Peace with God we be drawn to a reckoning before His Tribunal what will come of it and are not our precious Opportunites apace and always sliping by and is not the work of Faith by delays still the more difficult are not our Bonds still the more strengthened and doth not our Indisposition still grow the greater and is it not very ordinary to see these who have slighted the work of Faith in their Youth to live stupid in their old Age and die Sensless 4. Consider what sort of Folk they are of whom the Scripture speaks as Unbelievers and whom the Word of God holds forth to be eternally secluded from the presence of God for the want of Faith Many think that it 's but the grosly Prophane or such as never had so much as the form of Religion and such as others would scunner and loath to hear them but mentioned that it's I say only such that are accounted Unbelievers But the Scripture speaks of some that seek to enter in and shall not be able that desire to be in Heaven and take some pains to win in and yet are never admitted to enter into it and what is the reason because they took not the way of Believing for the obtaining of Life and coming to Heaven they took the way of Works they took the way of Prayer of Purposes Promises and Resolutions to ammend and grow better quite overlooking Christ and the way of Believing in Him and so took the way of Presumption and promised themselves Peace when there was no true Peace nor any solid ground for it 5. Consider which is of affinity with the former Consideration them that are secluded from the presence of God for the want of Faith they are even Men and Women as we are that lived in the same Kingdom and City with us that prayed in the same Company with us that thought themselves as sure of Heaven as many of us do that were guilty of the same or like Sins that we are guilty of that have heard many of the same Preachings that we have heard and yet they perish for want of Faith for not believing in the Son of God Why then should we think that impossible as to us that is so common and frequent in others Is not the same Nature in us that 's in others and are not our Hearts naturally as deceitful and corrupt as those of others and so may not we be beguiled as well as others And is it not the same rule that He will walk by in judging of us that He walked by in judging of others What can be the reason that Folk will read and hear the Word and will promise to themselves Heaven when the same Word clears it plainly that Destruction is that which they have to look for from the Lord It is nothing else but this confident and proud Presumption that many take for Faith Let not your precious opportunities slip away and beguile not your selves in such a concerning matter as Faith is ye will never get this loss made up afterwards if ye miss Faith here Lastly Consider the great necessity that the Loâ—d hath laid upon all Men and Women by a peremptory Command and Charge to believe in the Son of God He hath not with greater peremptoriness required Prayer nor dependance upon Him nor any other Duty then He hath required this 1 John 3.23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ yea it 's singled out as His main Commandment If that great iniquiry be made What shall I do to be saved this is the answer Believe on Jesus Christ Do ye think that our Lord who hath so marked and signalized this Command in so special a manner will never take account for the slighting of it or do ye think to satisfie Him by your other Duties without minding this It cannot be Suppose ye should mourn all your Life-time and your Life were a pattern to others yet if ye want this one thing Faith in Christ ye will be found Transgressours as having neglected the main work Now for the Question ye will say What this is we are bidding you do when we bid you Believe Answ When we call you to Believe we call you 1. To be suitably affected with the sense of your own Naughtiness Sinfulness and Hâ—zaâ—d Till there be something of this Faith in our Lord Jesus hath no access nor will ever get welcome Deep apprehensions of the Wrath that is coming and a standing in awe at the thoughts of our appearing before Him contribute much to it I am not preaching Desperation to you as some mutter but we would press upon you the Faith of the Word of God that tells you what we are and liveliness under that impression that ye may not be stopped or letted till ye come to a thorow closure with Christ The most part of Hearers come never this length and this is the reason why many stumble in the very Threshold and make never Progress 2. We call for and commend this to you that ye would study to be through and clear as to the Usefulness and Excellency of Jesus Christ as to the efficacy of His Death as to the terms of the Covenant of Grace whereby a Sinner comes to obtain Right to Him to be sensible of Sin and Hazard without this is only the way to make a Man desperate and mad but when this is clear it makes an open door to the Sinner that he may see whither to run from the Wrath to come I do not only mean that ye would get the Catâ—chism and be able to answer to all the Questions concerning the Fundamentals of Religion contained therein but that ye would also and mainly seek to have the Faith of these things in your Hâ—arts and to have Faith in God that ye may be perswaded that He that was and is God died for Sinners and that by the application of His Satisfaction Sinners may obtain Life and that there is a sufficient Warrand given to a Sinner to hazard himself upon Him The first of these speaks the necessity of some Sense the second holds out the necessity of a general Faith according to that word Heb. 11. He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him We must know that there is a Warrand to come and ground to expect Acceptance from God upon our coming or else we will never come to nor believe in Christ The third thing that we call you to when we call you
which may be gathered from Heb. 4.1 that stout confidence that thinks it's impossible to miss the Promises is a suspect and dangerous Faith not to be loved it 's a much better Faith that fears then that Faith that 's more stout except there be a sweet mixture of holy stoutness and fear together It 's said Heb. 11.7 that by Faith Noah being moved with fear prepared an Ark c. Noah had the Faith of God's Promise that he should be keeped free from being drowned by the Deluge with the rest of the World and yet he was mourning and trembling in preparing the Ark If there were much Faith among you it would make many of you more holily feared then ye are Love not that Faith the worse that ye never hear a threatning but ye tremble at it and are touched by it in the quick 2. It 's a good token of Saving Faith when it hath a discovery and holy suspition of Unbelief wairing on it so that the Person dare not so lippen and trust his own Faith as not to dread Unbelief and to tell Christ of it There is a poor Man that comes to Christ Mat. 9.23 24. to whom the Lord faith If thou canst believe or canst thou believe yes Lord says he I believe help thou mine unbelief there was some Faith in him but there was also Unbelief mixed with it his Unbelief was so great that it was almost like to drown his Faith but he puts it in Christ's hand and will neither deny his Faith nor his Unbelief but puts the matter sincerely over upon Christ to strengthen his Faith and to amend and help his Unbelief It 's a suspect Faith that 's at the top of Perfection at the very first and ere ever ye wot There are some serious Souls that think because they have some Unbelief that therefore they have no Faith at all but true Faith is such a Faith that is by and beside suspected and feared or seen Unbelief That Faith is surest where Folk fear and suspect Unbelief and see it and when they are weighted with their Unbelief and cry out under it and make their Unbelief an errand to Christ it 's a token there is Faith there 3. The third Character is That it will have with it a sticking to Christ and a fear to presume in sticking to Him There will be two things striving together an eagerness to be at Him and a fear that they be found presumptuous in medling with Him and an holy trembling to think on it yet notwithstanding it must and will be adventured upon the Woman spoken of Mark 5.28 lays this reckoning with her self If I can but touch his cloathes I shall be whole and she not only believeth this to be truth but crouds and thrimbles in to be at him yet vers 33. when she comes before Christ she trembles as if she had been taken in a fault not having dared to come openly to Him but behind him she behoved to have a touch of him but she durst not in a manner own and avouch her doing of it till she be unavoidably put to it It 's a suspect and unsound Faith that never trembled at minting to Believe there is reason to be jealous that Faith not to be of the right stamp that never walked under the impression of the great distance between Christ and the Person the sense whereof is the thing that makes the trembling I say not desperation nor any utter distrust of Christ's kindness but trembling arising from the consideration of the great distance and disproportion that 's between Him and the Person Faith holds the Sinner a going to Christ and the sense of its own sinfulness and worthlesness keeps him under holy fear and in the exercise of Humility Paul once thought himself a jolly man as we may see Rom. 7.9 but when he was brought to believe in Christ he sees that he was a dead and undone man before I give you these three marks of a true Faith from that Chapter 1. It discovers to a Man his former Sinfulness and particularly his former Self-conceit Pride and Presumption I was saith Paul alive without the Law once c. a man living upon the thoughts of his own Holiness but when the Law came I died he fell quite from these high thoughts A second Mark is A greater restlesness of the Body of Death it becoming in some respect worse Company more fretful and strugling more then ever it did before Sin revived saith Paul though he had no more Corruption in him then he had before but it wakened and bestirred it self more I dare say that though there be not so much Corruption in a Believer as there is in a natural Man yet it strugleth much more and is more painful and disquieting to the Believer and breeds him a greate dale more trouble for says the Apostle on the matter when God graciously poured Light and Life into me Sin took that occasion to grow angry and to be enraged that such a neighbour was brought in beside it it could not endure that as an unruly and currish Dog barks most bitterly when an honest Guest comes to the House so doth Corruption bark and make more noise then it did before when Grace takes place in the Soul There are some that trow they have the more Faith because they feel no Corruption stir in them and there are others that think they have no Faith at all because they feel Corruption strâ—gling more and growing more troublesome to them but the stirring and strugling of Corruption if Folk be indeed burdened and affected and afflicted with it will rather prove their having of Faith then their wanting of it Love that Faith well that puts and keeps Folk bickerring to say so in the Fight with the Body of Death for though this be not good in it self that Corruption stirreth yet Sin is of that sinful nature that it flies always more in their face that look God and Heaven-wards then of others that are sleeping securely under its Dominion A third Mark is When the Soul hath never Peace in any of its Conflicts or Combats with Corruption but when it resolves in Faith exercised on Jesus Christ as it was with Paul in that Chapter after his Conversion That is a sound Faith that only makes Peace at first by Christ but that cannot to say so fight one fair stroke in the Spiritual Warfare nor look Corruption in the face nor promise to it self an outgate from any assault of the Enemy but by Faith in Jesus Christ as it was with the Apostle who toward the end of that Chapter lamentably crys O! wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death yet immediatly subjoyns Faiths triumphing in Christ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord he belike before his Conversion thought he could do well enough all alone but it is not so now when he can do nothing without Christ especially in this sore
them to wit Sin therefore to such as he cured he says very often Thy sins be forgiven thee he studied to remove that in most of them he did deal with and so looking on our Lord as taking on our Sins complexly with the cause and as having a right to remove all the effects of Sin evidencing it self in the removing of these Diseases whereof Sin was the cause these words may be thus fulfilled and so they are clear and the Doctrine also We have here no meer exempâ—ary Saviour that hath done no more but confirmed his Doctrine and given us a copy how to do and behave but he hath really and actually born our Sorrows and Griefs and removed our Debt by undergoing the punishment due to us for Sin Observe here 1. That Sin in no Flesh no not in the Elect themselves is without Sorrow and Grief Tribulation and Anguish are knit to it or it hath these following on it or take the Doctrine thus Wherever there is Sin there is the cause of much Sorrow and Grief no more can the native cause be without the effect then Sin can be without Sorrow and Grief it 's the plain assertion of Scripture Rom. 2.8 9. Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil which one place putting the four words together says 1. That there is Sorrow most certainly and inseparably on every Soul that hath sinned And 2. That this Sorrow is exceeding great which may also be the reason why this Sorrow is set out in two words in the Text therefore four words are used by the Apostle to express it It 's not our purpose here to dispute whether God in his Justice doth by necessity of Nature punish the Sinner These three things considered will make out the Doctrine which is That there is a necessary connexion betwixt Sâ—n and Sorrow and that this Sorrow must needs be very great 1. If we consider the exceeding unsuitableness of Sin to the holy Law of God and how it is a direct contrariety to that most pure and perfect Law 2. If we consider the perfectly holy Nature of God himself The righteous Lord saith the Pâ—almist Psal 11.7 loveth righteousness and the Prophet Hab. 1.13 says He is of purer eyes then that be can behold evil and he cannot look upon iniquity and though we need noâ— to dispute Gods Soveraignty yet it is clear that he is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7.11 and he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.7 and thaâ— there is a greater suitableness in his inflicting Sorrow and Grief on a Sinner that walks contrary to him then there is in shewing him Mercy and there is a greater suitableness in his shewing Mercy to a humbled Sinner that is aiming to walk holily before him 3. If we consider the revealed will of God in the Threatning who hath said the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die we may say there is as they speak in the Schools a hypothetick necessity of grief and sorrow to follow on Sin and that there is a necessary connexion betwixt them and this may very well stand with the Mediator his coming in and interposing to take that Grief and Sorrow from off us and to lay it on himself but it was once ours because of our Sin If it be askâ—d wâ—at Grief and Sorrow this is We said it's very great and there is reason for it for though our act of Sin 1. As to the Subject that Sins Man And 2. As to the act of â—in it self a sinful thought word or deed that is soon gone be finit yet if we consider Sin 1. In respect of the object â—gainst whom the infinite God 2. In respect of the absolute purity of Gods Law a rule that bears ouâ— Gâ—ds Image set down by infinite Wisdom and that may be some way called infinitely pure and Sin as being against this pure rule that infinite Wisdom hath set down And 3. If we consider it in no respect of its nature every sin being of this nature that though it cannot properly wrong the Majesty of God yet as to the intention of the thing and even of the Sinner it wrongs him Sin in these respects may be called infinite and the wrong done to the Majesty of God thereby may be called infinite as these who built Babel their intention in that work breathed forth infinite wrong to God as having a direct tendency to bring them off from dependance on him and so every Sin if it had its will and intent would put God in subordination to it and set it self in his room and therefore Sin in some respect as to the wrong against God is infinite 2. Observe That the real and very great Sorrow that the Sins of the Elect deserved our Lord Jesus did realty and actually bear and suffer as we have exponed the words and confirmed the exposition given of them ye have a clear confirmation of the Doctrine from them 1. Griefs and Sorrows in the plural Number shew intensness of Sorrow and Grief 2. That they are called ours it shews our propriety in them And 3. That it 's said Christ bare them These concur to prove the Doctrine that the same Sorrow which the Sins of the Elect deserved Christ bare It not only says that our Lord bare Sorrows but the same Sorrows that by the Sins of the Elect were due to them and so there was a proportionableness betwixt the Sorrows that he bare and the Sorrows they should have endured he took up the cup of Wrath that was filled for us and that we would have been put to drink and drank it out himself suppose that our Lord had never died as blessed be his Name there is no ground to make the supposiâ—ion the cup of Sâ—rrow that the Elect would have drunken eternally was the same cup that he drank our for them It is true we would distinguish betwixt these things that are essentially due to Sin as the punishment of it and these things that are only accidentally due to it the former Christ bare but not the latter To clear both in a word or two 1. These things essentially due to Sin as necessarly included in the Threatning The day thou eatest thou shalt surely die and in the curse of the Law according to that Cursed is every one that abides not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them are Death and the Curse these are essentially the desert of Sin in which respect it was not only necessary that Christ should become Man and â—â—ffer but that he should suffer to death or shâ—uld die and not only so but that he should die the cursed death of the Cross as the Threatning and Curse put together hold out and as to all these things that he underwent and met with before and at his death they were the accomplishment of the Threatning due to us and fulfilled in and by him in our room
Christ Jesus It 's Gods great mercy that he hath given a Mediator and that the Mediator is come and that he hath taken on our debt What had been our eternal perishing and wallowing in Hells torments with Devils to his sufferings Alwayes this Doctrine saith that there is a necessity of making use of him and receiving of him And therefore either resolve to meet with this sorrow in your own persons or betake you to him that by his interposing it may be kept off you Weigh these two that sorrow death and the curse necessarily follow sin And that Jesus Christ hâ—th died and undergone that curse for elect sinners and then ye will see a necessity of being found in him that ye may be free of the curse Which made Paul make that choise Philip. 3 8 9 I count all things dung that I may win Christ and be found in him Oft-times the allurements of the Gospel prevail not to bring sinners to Chriâ—t but if it's allurements do not prevail will not the consideration of the vengeance of God perswade you However in these two Doctrines ye have in sum this the curse of God following sin and a free and full Saviour holden out to you by whom ye may eviâ—e the curse ye are invited â—o make him welcome Choose you death and life are set before you whereby you are put to it whether ye will adventure to meet with the curse or to make him welcome Now God himself make you wise to make the right choise SERMON XX. ISAIAH LIII IV V. Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed IF we had the Faith of that which the Prophet speaks here and the through conviction who it is of whom he speaks we would be in a holy transport of admiration and astonishment at the hearing of it That it 's he who is the Prince of life that was bruised and wounded and that these bruises wounds and stripes are ours were for us and the price and satisfaction for our iniquities to Divine Justice And yet that even he in the performing of all this is vilipended and despised by these whose good he is thus pursuing and seeking after O! how should it be wondered at These words as we shew hold forth these three 1. The cause or end of Christs suffering Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows which is to remove and take away the scandal that might arise from Christs Humiliation described in the foregoing words He was low indeed but there was no guilt found in his mouth It was for no quarrel that God had at himself but he undertook our debt and therefore carried our sorrows 2. The aggravation of mens enmity and desperat wickedness that yet notwithstanding of all this We esteemed him smitten of God and a flicted 3. We have the Exposition of the first part more clearly set down But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities c. Where more fully he expounds what in the beginning of the 4. vers he asserted We expounded the first part of the words and shew that these griefs and sorrows held forth the due desert of sin called ours because they are the due and particular desert of our sins and that which they procured and that Christ's bearing of them was not only meant of his taking away or removing from us of sorrows and griefs as he did diseases but of his real undergoing of that which we should have undergone even such a bearing as made others think him smitten and plagued of God and such as wounded and bruised him even such as made him become a curse for us and such as procured healing to us All which proves that it was a reâ—l undergoing of sorrow and grief We spoke to two Doctrines from this part 1. That sin hath sorrow necessarily knit to it and never wanteth sorrow following on it 2. That Christ Jesus undertook these same sorrows and really bare these same griefs that sin procured to the Elect or that by sin were due to them That we may proceed to observe somewhat more and for clearer access to the Doctrine we shall speak a word to a Question that may be moved here What is meant by these words our we and us He hath born our griefs the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all by his stripes we are healed And the rather I would speak to this because throughout the Chapter we will find these Pronouns very frequent We know in Scripture our and us are sometimes extended to all mankind so we are all lost in Adam and sin hath a dominion over us all And that part of the worâ—s vers 6. All we like sheep have gone astray may well be extended to all mankind Sometimes it is to be restrictâ—d to God's Elect and so all comprehends only such and all such And in this respect our us and we and all are contradistinguished from many others in the World and take not in all men as Gal. 4.26 Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Which is spoken in opposition to thâ— bond woman and her children spoken of before So that this our us and we are not to be extended to all individual men in the Wâ—rld as if Christ had satisfied the Justice of God for all but it is to be applied to Gods Elect separat in his purpose from others and in Gods design appointed to be redeemed and satisfied for by Christ And the words being thus expounded they lead us to this Doctrine that Jesus Christ in bearing the punishment of sin had a particular and distinct respect to some definite sinners for confirmation of it we shall not go out of the Chapâ—er the scope whereof we would clear a little And if we look thorow the Chapter we will find five grounds to clear these words are to be thus restricted For 1. We are to expound this universal with respect to Gods purpose and Covenant the contrivance of the Elects Redemption and to the death of Christ the execution of it and so these words our us we all are and must be restricted to these and in them we are to find out who they are Now who these are we find clear John 6.37 39. In the 37. v. where he saith All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me And v. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing It 's in a word these whom the Father hath given to Christ and as many as are given will believe And certainly these that are given to Christ to be redeemed by him are the same whose iniquities the Father makes to meet on
that he should be opp essâ—â— and afflicted and brought as a lamb to the slaughter that he should be numbred amongâ—t the transgressours and that he should die and be buried make his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death all which are clearly fulfille in him and the clearing of his Sufferings whereof we spoke before clears this that not only he suffered but that he was brought so low in suffering 2 For the ground of his Sufferings its â—aid to be the sins of his own Elect He bare our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgrâ—ssions and bruised for our iniquities there was no guile found in his mouth the greatest enemies of our Lord could impute nothing to him Pilat was forced to say that he found no fault in him all which shew that it was for the Transgressions of his People that he suffered 3. As for Mens little esteem of him it is also very clear for He was despised and rejected of men we hid as it were our faces from him He was despised and we esteemed him not the World thought little of him and we that are elect thought but little of him and what is more clear in the Gospel then this where it is told that he was reproached buffeted spitted on despised they criâ—d away with him crucifie him He trusted in God let him deliver him but God hath forsaken him 4. As for the Promises made to him He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands He shâ—ll see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied and by his knowledge shall many be justified c. what mean all these but that he shall die and rise again and have many Converts that God's work shall thrive well in his hand and that he shall have a glorious Kingdom and many Subjects which is caâ—led afterward his having a portion with the great and his dividing of the sooil with the strong All this was accompl shed in Christ when after his Resurrectâ—on many were win and brought in by the Gospel to believe on him and though Jews and eathens concurred and conspired to cuâ— off all Christians yet his Kingdom spread and hath continued these sixteen hundred years and above 5. As for the effects that followed on his Sufferings or the influence they have on the elect People of God as mâ—ny Converts as have been and are in the World as many Witnesses are there that he is the Messiah every converted pardoned and reconciled Soul seals this truth Hence 1 John 5.7 8 it is said There are three that bear witness in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and there are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit in his efficacy the Water in the sanctifying vertue of it in changing and cleansing his People and the Blood in the satifying and justifying vertue of it and these three agree and concur in one even this one to wit that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and then it follows He that believeth hath the witness in himself because he hath gotten Pardon through him and therefore can set to his Seal to this truth and say truly Christ is the Messiah The Use is To exhort you to acquaint your selves with these things that serve to confirm this truth the book of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the Hebrews are much spâ—nt upon it even to hold out and to prove Christ Jesus to be the true Messiah and Saviour of his People If this be not made sure and sicker we have an unstable ground for our Faith and though it be sure in it self yet so long as it is not so to us we want the consolation of it and there is a twofold prejudice that cometh through Folks want of thorow clearness in and assurance of this truth 1. To the generality of Hearers there is this prejudice that they are so careless and little solicitous to rest on him And as it made the Jews to râ—ject him who to this day stumbâ—e at him on this same very ground that they know him not to be the Messiah the Christ of God in whom is accomplished all that was spoken of the Messiah to Christians not being through in it they do not rest on him nor close with him as the true Messiah 2. There is a prejudice also from it to Believers who having only a glimring light of Christs being the Messiah come short of thar consolation that they might hâ—ve if they were through in the Fâ—ith oâ— it there is this great evil among Christians that they study not to be solidly clear and through in this point to that if they were puâ— to reason and debate with a Jew if there were not a witness within themsâ—lves of it the truth of the Faith of many would be exceedingly shaken 2. From this That he never speaks of Christs Sufferings but he makes applicâ—tion of them he carried our Griefs he was wounded for our Transgressions c. Observe That Believers would look on Christs Sufferings as undergone for them and in their rooms and place We cleared before 1. That Christ suffâ—red for some peculiarly and not for all And 2. Thâ—t Believers would endeavour the clearing of their own interest in his Sufferings and that they have a right to them Now we shortly add this 3d. of kin to the former That B lievers and such as are fled to Christ for refuge would look on his Suffâ—rings as come under for them and these same Scriptures which we cited to confirm these will confirm this The reason why we would have you confirmed in this is Because 1 It is only this that will make you suitably thankful it is this which is a notable ground of that Song of Praise Rev. 1.4 To him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood c. 2. This is a ground of true solid and strong consolation even to be comforted in the applicative Faith of Christs purchase 3. It is the Lords allowance on his People which they should reverently and thankfully make use of even to look on Jesus Christ as wounded pierced and lifted up on the Cross for them and by doing this according to his allowance there is a paved way made for application of all the benefites of his purchase 3. From the scope looking on the words as spoken to remove the scandal of the Cross Observe which may be a reason of the former that folk will never take up Christ rightly in his sufferings except they take him up as suffering for them and in their room This look of Christ leads 1. To take up much of the glory of grace and condescending love to sinners 2. It leads to take up Christs faithfulness that came to the world on sinners errand according to the ancient transaction in the Covenant of Redemption as he is brougbt in
Christs satisfaction or suffering and it is by the way much to be regrated that such is the ignorance of some that if a question be proponed in divers words or expressions as if it should be asked wherefore are we pardoned wherefore are we justified which is one and the same they know not how to answer but here ye are called to remember that Christs being wounded and his bearing the chastisement due to you is the cause of your Pardon and Justification 2. Healing looks to Sanctification as we hinted in the exposition so that if it be asked How comes it to pass that a Sinner is made holy we have it here answered that though efficiently it comes by the Spirit and be his work yet meritoriously it comes by Christs suffâ—rings he bought it by his stripes we are healed And under these two Words peace and healing we take in all things needful or pertaiâ—ing to Life and Godlinâ—â—s for by peaâ—e the feud and enmiâ—y is taken â—way 〈…〉 â—e reconciled to God a Eph. 2.14 〈◊〉 â—â—d to be our peace and he who ca◠〈◊〉 speak peace to all that are afar off and neâ—â—and and also by peace we under stand all 〈◊〉 effects of peace 1. Pardon of Sin Justification Adoption Communion with God here and hereafter Peace with our own Conscience and with the Creatures eterâ—â—â— Peace and Glory and all these good things purchased by Christs death For the Hebrews under peace comprehended all good things And under healing we take in Sanctification as distinguished though not divided from those other things mentioned dying to sin and living to righteousness with the several degrees of their advance and progress and the making of us to be without spot and wrinkle or any such thing So that folk have much advantage by Christs purchase and much prejudice thorow the want of it By his death we are kept out of Hell and admitted to peace with God and every thing that is good We have liberty to pray for all that is good and are brought in his own way and time to the possession of it It 's by the blood of sprinkling that we have a new and living way made patent to us unto the most holy and holiness in the way whereof we enter in thither 6. To whom hath Christ procured all these good things The Text saith it 's our and we the chastisement of our peace was on him and by his stripes we are healed to wit we Elect. Whence Observe 1. That the benefits of Christs purchase redounds only to the Elect there is a certain select number to whom they are applyed and not to all indifferently It 's only of as many as are healed whose chastisements he hath born It 's only they whom the Father hath given him to them he gives eternal life and they shall never perish John 6.45 They are Effectually Called Justifiâ—d and Sanctified 2. Observe That what Christ Jesus hath purchased and the benefits of his purchase redound and are extended to them that are guilty of hainous sins to them that are under transgressions and iniquities that are at feud with God and under many poâ—â—â—tionâ— and most loathsome spiritual Diseases to them who contemned and despised Christ and judged him smitten and plagued of God as is clear from the foregoing words and to them which have gone straying like lost sheep as is clear from the words following This points at these two or three things very useful 1. That the Elect are by nature and before Christ do them good no better than others 2. It shews the freedom of the Grace of God that comes over that and freely gives pardon peace and healing to them And 3ly It serves to strengthen a Sinners Faith who is sensible of his enmity and sinfulness and to be a ground of encouragement to him to step to and lay hold on Christs purchase because it was for such that he died he may humbly yet confidently say Christ died even for such as me for them that wounded and pierced him by their transgressions and iniquities for them that were at enmity with God c. and alace I am such and will therefore on the call of the Gospel come to him and on his own terms endeavour to cast my self on him 7. How are these benefites this Justification Pardon of Sin Peace and Healing and all that is comprehended under them derived from Christ to the Sinner that by Faith fleeth unto him for refuge Answer These two generals will clear it 1. They are derived to us justly and in a legal way Christ steps in in our room that we may come in his room 2. They are derived to us freely he was wounded and bruised that we might go free he endured stripes that we might be healed he got the buffets and bare the burden and we get the benefites there is not a grain weight of it laid on us as it is satisfactory to divine Justice To clear this a little more anent the deriving the benefits of Christs purchase to us there must be a respect had 1. To the Covenant of Redemption the ground of his suffering for us 2. To the Covenant of Grace and Reconciliation wherein the offer of these Sufferings and the benefits purchased by them to us and the terms of both is made 1. I say That respect most be had to the Covenant of Redemption wherein it 〈◊〉 acted in the Council of the God-head that the Son of God should become Man and suffer and condignly satisfie divine Justice by paying the price due by the Elect and that that price being laid down it should be made forthcoming for them for whom he payed it and be reckoned theirs and they set actually at liberty when having recourse thereto by Faith and here there is a legal ground for transferring Christs purchase to and upon us the Cautioner satisfying we the Debtors are on that account absolved in his own order and method and have a right to seek the application of the price and the benefits purchased by that price Christs stands in our room at the bar and sentence passed on him to pay our Debt he satisfied according to his undertaking for us And upon the other hand we are brought in and the sentence of Justification passed on us on that account He saith the Apostle who knew no sin is made sin for us that in him we may be accounted righteous and may be declared free as we are by vertue of his satisfaction But it may be objected here What are we then absolved from the very time of Christs death and forward For answer We would distinguish betwixt a right to the thing and a right in the thing as we use to speak betwixt jus ad rem and jus in re the Elect from Christs death forward and before too have a right to the thing but not in the thing as to the application of it to themselves an elect Person by vertue of Christs Satisfaction hath a legal right to
thing to be marked Observe That all men even the Elect themselves not excepted are naturally in a most sinful and desperat state and condition so that if ye would know what they are by Nature this is a description of their state All we like sheep have gone astray and every one hath turned to his own way And when it 's called our own way there needs no other Eâ—â—thete to set out the desperatness of it That which I mean is this that all men are naturally under these two 1. They are under guilt before God Eph. 2.1 2. Dead in sins and tresp sses childâ—en of wrath and heirs of condemnation lyable to the curse of God by vertue of the Covenant which Adam broke 2. Which is mostly aimed at here there is in every one a sinful nature a sinfulness or sinning sin an inclination to sin every one hath a straying humour So that although the similitude of sheep aâ—ree not to them in that senâ—e as sheep are innocent creatures yet it agrees to them in this sense that they are silly foolish Creatures And in this respect it is said Gen. 6.8 That all tha imaginations of the thoughts of the heart in man are only evil continually And Eph. 2.1 They are said to be dead in sin not only in respect of their being obnoxious to God's curse but in respect of their natural deadness of their sinful nature and want of spiritual life So Rom. 3 9 10. and forwards the Apostle describes the sinfulness of man's nature at large not only in respect of its guilt but of its inclination to sin and says that their throat is an open Sepulchre Insinuating thereby that men naturally are like to a Tomb and that the Corps within the Tomb is death and sin and that all that comes from them savours of that Their feet are swift to shed blood with their tongues they use deceit c. Every member and part of the body and every faculty of the soul is bent to that which is evil These three may further confirm it 1. If we look in general to what the Scripture speaks of men by nature Eph. 2.1 2 3. Rom. 3 and 5. Chapters They being as it is Isaiah 57. penult As the raging Sea that casts out dirt and mire continually It is alwayes moving and working one way or other and more especially in a storm so that though at one tide ye should sweep the Shore never so clean it will be as foul and dirty the next Tide that cometh So are these hearts of ours as Peter speaks 2 Epist 2. And Jude vers 13. foaming out their own shame And James saith Chap. 4.5 The spirit that dwells in us lusteth to envy It hath as great eagerness after and as great delight in sin as a Drunkard hath after and in drink 2. Experience also confirms it Go thorow all the Men and Women that ever were in the World our blessed Lord Jeâ—us being excepteâ— as not descending oâ— Adam by the ordinary way of Generation and that will be found true which the Apostle hath Rom. 3. There is none that doth good no not one And that which is spoken Gen. 6. All flesh hath corrupted their way And what is the spring of all the aâ—ominations that are in the World and the rise of these particular evils that are in believers and Saints mentioned in Scripture as in David Peter and others But this same corrupt nature this body of death as it is called Rom. 7.14 All which strongly prove a fire to be within when there is such a smoak without 3. We may confirm it from well-grounded reason for it cannot be otherwise If the root be of such a nature can the branches be otherwayes Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean thing No not one Job 14.4 When Adam fell the root was corrupted and the branches cannot be fresh the fountain was defiled and the streams cannot be clean and clear Hence when Adam begot Seth an Elect in whom the Church was continued it is said that he begat a son after his own likeness Gen. 5. He himself was created after Gods Image but begat children after his own Image Though this be a commonly received Doctrine yet it s not without good reason nor for no use insisted on so much here and in other Scriptures We shall therefore speak a little to these four Uses of it The 1. Use of it serves for Information and we may make it a looking-glass wherein we may see clearly our own most sinful state and condition Would ye know what ye are by nature This Text tells you that not only all men have strayed but that each of us or every one of uc hath turned to his own way But knowing how ready we are to shift the challenge we would be perswaded that we are by nature lyable to Gods curse for Adams sin dead in sin and inclined to all evil Sheep are no readier to go the wrong way and will no more readily stray if they want a Shepherd then we are inclined to do There is a common word in many of your mouths that we are all sinners by nature but when it 's searched into we find that there is much ignorance amongst you of what it means many count themselves to be sinners only because of their being guilty of the first sin and so put no difference betwixt the first sin and Original sin which is an effect that flows from and follows upon the first sin The first sin was Adam's deed and is legally ours being imputed to us As it is Rom. 5. Death reigned over all even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam 's transgression because Adam in his standing and falling stood in our room representing all mankind that was to come of him But Original sin is inherent in us and cleaveth closs to us and is that which we are born and bred and grow up with And therefore ye would distinguish these sins that ye may know that ye are not only guilty of Adams first sinful deed but that ye havâ— a present sinful and corrupt nature though it be not â—lways alike exercising and acting it self Others again look only upon their nature as inclined to evil and look not on it as that which makes them lyable to wrath by reason of the first sin But ye would put both together and know that though your sinfulness doth not consist only in an inclination to evil that yet your sinfulness lyes mainly in that and that it will not be long a going wrong And it 's not only your actual straying and going wrong that ye would take notice of but also and mainly of your sinful nature that inclines disposes and sets you on work to go wrong It 's your filthy corrupt Nature the Body of Death the smell and savour whereof to say so is the kything of some actual sin We may clear it in a similitude or two We are by this
be done And so hotly and hardly was he pursued by Justice that he must needs come to the cursed death of the Cross and actually die And as if death had gotten a piece of dominion over the Lord of Life he is laid in the grave So Zech. 13. the Lord saith Awake O sword against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow smite the shepherd Where we see that when the good Shepherd and great Bishop of Souls hath undertaken for the Elects debt Justice gives a Commission as it were to its own holy revenge to pursue the man that is God's fellow for that debt That which we design to confirm in the Doctrine is not only that our Lord Jesus suffered but that his suffering was by Justice it's exacting of him the debt of the Elects sin according to the engagement that he came under to the Father For the scope is to shew not only that he suffered so great things as oppressed and brought him very low But also that he was put at by Justice in these sad sufferings to pay the debt that he had taken on For confirming and clearing of this a little ye may consider 1. The Titles which he gets in Scripture he is called the Cautioner or Surety of the better Testament or Covenant Heb. 7.22 And by that Title he is shewed to be instated in our room and answerable for our debt And he is called the Lamb that takes away the debt of our sin by the sacrifice of himself He steped in into our place and kept off the stroak of the Sword of Justice that would have lighted on us had he not interposed 2. Consider the Titles which his sufferings and death gets Heb. 9.12 He is said to purchase to wit by it eternal Redemption for us And Rom. 3.24 we are said to be justified through the Redemption that is in Jesus We were slaves to the Devil subject to the curse discerned and adjudged to suffer for the wrongs that we had done to Justice And his suffering is called Redemption because as the man that redeems the Captive gives a ransom for him so he interposed and payed a ransom for us It 's also called a propitiation 1 John 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins to wit pleasing to God and accepted of him in the room of all the Elect And this word propitiation as it supposeth God's being displeased with the Elect before Christ's satisfaction so it plainly holds forth his being well pleased with them on the account of his satisfaction 3. Consider these Scriptures that speak not only of Christ's sufferings but of their end and scope even the drawing of him down to speak so into the Elects room as v. 5. of this Chapter He was wounded for our transgressions c. He got the stroaks and we got the cure 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God through him We are sinners and Christ is to purchase righteousness to us And the way how he doth it is by steping in into our room and becoming our Cautioner and he ingaging as Surety the Law wins at him on that ground so Gal. 3.13 He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us we were under the Curse and lyable to be pursued by it and our Lord Jesus becomes a Curse to deliver us from it Considering then the end of Gods Covenant which is to glorify his Justice aâ—d Grace that Sinners may know it is an evil thing to sin and depart from God and that Grace is a very costly thing whereunto he hath made access through the Vail which is his Flesh and considering Christs undertaking without which they could not be set free it could not be otherways This is a truth that hath in it much of the marrow of the Gospel and tends much to humble us and is also very much for our comfort What was Justice seeking of Christ when he suffered and was in an agony if thou beest a Believer or an elect Sinner it was even exacting thy Debt of him and would it not affect an ingenuous Debtor to see his Cautioner dragged haled and hurried to Prison for his Debt Even so if we could look on Christs Sufferings as so many Summons and Pursevants arresting him for our Debt it could not but affect us with much sorrow for our sins that brought him to this and with much love to him who was content to be so dealt with for them and no doubt this is one of the reasons why he will have his death remembered till he come again even that we may see our obligation to him and be suitably affected with it 2ly Observe That the Debt of the Elects sins was severely and with holy rigidity exacted of Christ to the very full worth or value this proceeding was as to Christ by way of Justice whether we look to the purchase that he made to wit the Elects Souls he laid down as good in their room or whether we look to a Transaction or Bargain going before whatever was in the stipulation he payed and satisfied to the full nothing was remitted nor given him down or whether we look to the Curse due to the Elect that was inflicted on him and he himself was made a Curse for us looking on the Curse simply as penal and what was bitter in it which shews his condescendency in his Sufferings so much the more 3ly Observe That our Lord Jesus was brought exceeding low while the Debt of the Elect was exacted of him He was put to exceeding sore affliction much straitned and stressed by the Justice of God exacting of him the Debt due by elect Sinners We spoke to some words before which bare out this as he was wounded bruised chastified c. and now we see the effect here when Justice puts him to it After he hath taken on the Debt he is tried stripped as it were to the skin punished and distressed ere he get it payed If we consider our Lord Jesus as God he is neither less nor more punished being so considered utterly incapable of any such thing But if we look on him as Mediator God-man God much withdrawing from him the influence of his comforting presence while he hath the cup of wrath in his hand so he is brought exceeding low and sadly afflicted And these four considerations under which we may see him paying our Debt may clear it 1. That he laid aside the glory which before the World was he had with the Father for a time which therefore that it may be restored to him again he prayeth John 17.5 it having been as to the manifestation thereof in his person eclipsed interrupted and darkened for a season hence the Apostle says Philip. 2. that he emptied himself and became of no reputation as if his glory had not been discernable for a time He that is Judge of Quick and Dead is himself
and the exacting of the price according to the transaction is the ground of his expectation of the benefit of Christs purchase And there is Justice for it as the Apostle intimats Rom. 8.34 35. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again c. And upon this follows the believing souls triumph O! but there is much need to be thorowly acquainted with the mutual relations that are betwixt Christ and believing sinners with the ground of their approaching to him and with the good they are to expect through him Use 4. This word is made use of 1 Pet. 2.21 To give us a notable and none such pattern of patience Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps He did bear all wrongs patiently and packed them up quietly to say so and opened not his mouth He could have told Pilate and Caiaphas what they were but spoke not a word save one to the High Priest notwithstanding all his provoking carriage and a very meek one too If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil and if well why smitest thou me Among other Copies then that Christ hath casten take this for one make him a Copy and Pattern for Patience It is to be regrated that folks are so unlike to Christ in this respect they think it a disdainful thing to pack up a wrong and they will scorn and rush at it But what if Jesus Christ had been of that temper and disposition if it be fit to make such a supposition ye had been without a Redeemer and had perished for ever When he calls you to be followers of him and to suffer patiently as he did though most unjustly as to men for you to think or say that ye scorn it and that ye are not so mean spirited what is it else but to think and say on the matter that blessed Jesus in his patient and silent carriage under all the injuries that he suffered very unjustly from men shewed himself to be of a low and base spirit and that ye disdain to follow his way O! intollerably saucy and proudly blasphemous reflection The many contests the many high reâ—entments of wrongs the great grudging frettiâ—g and foaming at them that there are in Châ—istians say plainly that there is little of the meek and patient Spirit of Christ in and amongst us and that many of us know not what spirit we are of SERMON XXVIII ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the land of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken WE need not tell you of whom the Prophet is speaking here every verse and every word almost do make it manifest that he speaks of Christ the Saviour and indeed it can be applyed to none other It 's the same verse Acts 8.34 from which Philip proceeds to preach Christ to the Eunuch The Prophet hath been largely holding forth Christ's sufferings in the former verse and we conceive he takes a turn to speak of Christ's exaltation and out gate from these sufferings It 's true as if he had said He was brought to Prison and Judgement He was indeed straitned and pinched and laid very low but Prison and Judgement did not keep him He was taken or as the word is He was lift up from both And for as despicable as he was in man's eyes yet he was not so in himself for who shall declare his generation There is a wonderfulness in him who suffered that cannot be reached but must be left with admiration And a wonderfuâ— glory whereunto he was after his humiliation exalted and there is a reason of this given for preventing of offence if any should say how then could he suffer and be brought so low in suffering if he was so glorious a persoâ— He answers it is true that he was cut off out of the land of the living but for no offence in himself but for the transgression of Gods Elect was he stricken or as the word is The stroak was upon him Yea this as we conceive is given as a reason of his exaltation Because in the lowest steps of his humiliation he condescended to fulfil his ingagement to the Father in satisfying Justice for the sins of the Elect according to that of John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again Because according to his ingagement he suffered for the sins of his Elect People therefore he could not but have a comfortable and glorious outgate There are these three things in the words 1. Somewhat asserted concerning Christ Jesus He was taken from Prison and from Judgement 2. Something hinted at which cannot be expressed Who shall declare his generation 3. There is a reason given in reference to both For he was cut off c. which we shall expound when we come to it For the first He was taken from Prison and from Judgement We conceive these words look both to his humiliation and to his out-gate from it the one being clearly supposed that he was in prison or straits and brought to judgement and the other being expressed that he was brought from prison and from judgement 1. Prison here may be taken generally for any strait pinch or pressour thaâ— one may be brought unto which we conceâ—ve both the Words and the Prophets scope will clear Christ never having been properly in prison at least for any considerable time but straitned and pinched And he was taken from that being in his humiliation and in his sufferings in the room of the Elect pursued by the Law and Justice of God 2. Judgement is taken passively for Judgement past on him and it looks not only to the procedour of Pilate of the Chief Priest and of the Scribes and Pharisees but to a Judicial Process which the Justice of God led against him in which respect he answered as the words after will clear for the sins of God's people 3. The word He was eaken sometimes signifies to deliver as a Captive is delivered when he is taken from him that took him Captive as it is Isai 49.24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered To which the Lord here answers It or he shall be taken So then the scope and meaning of the words is that the Prophet subjoyns a narration of Christ's Exaltation upon the back of his Humiliation as it is usual in the Scripture to put these together and in this order as namely Philip. 2.8 9. He bumhled himself and became obedient unto death even to the death of the cross Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name c. He was exceedingly straitned and pinched for the Elects sins but death had
as a reason of the former and the one part of them is a reason of the other he had said before Who can declare his generation Who can sufficiently declare and unfold how gloriously the Mediator is exalted And he gives this for the reason of it For he was cut off out of the land of the living The force of which reason is that he humbled himself therefore God hath highly exalted him as the Apostle reasons Philip. 2.9 So tha this is not added as being posterior to his Exaltation but as a reason shewing the connexion of his Exâ—ltation with his Humiliation And left it should be a stumbling to any that this glorious person suffered death he gives the reason of that also which strengthens the reason of his Exaltation For the transgression of my people was he stricken or as the word is The stroak was on him he suffered not for any wrong in himself but for the sins of his own elect people The first part clearly looks to Christs death which was a Prophesie in Isaiah his time but is now a Historical narr tion to us we having the Gospel as a Commentary on it To be cut off out of the land of the living is to have an end put to the natural life which is ordinarily done by death But cutting off here signifies to be taken away not in an ordinary but in an extraordinary way to be removed by a violent death by the stroak of Justice We may shortly take these two Observes here for the confirmation of two Articles of our Faith Looking on it 1. As a Prophesie we may Observe That our Lord Jesus behoved to suffer and die it was Prophesied of him That he should be cut off out of the land of the living And Dan. 9.26 it is plainly and clearly asserted that the Messiah shall be cut off which being compared with the History of the Gospel we have it as a truth â—ulfilled for our Lord Jesus was cut off and as he himself sayes Luke 24. It behoved him to suffer these things and to enter into his gloâ—y Aâ—d supposing the Elect to be sinners and the curse to be added to the Covenant of Works The day thou eats thou shalâ— surely die supposing also the Mediator to have ingaged and undertaken to satisfie Juâ—â—ice and undergo that curse for the Elâ—ct There was a necessity that he should die as it is Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us which curse was evidenâ— in his death for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree 2. Observe That our Lord Jesus behoved to die a violent death and not an ordinary natural one which this expression and that other Dan 9 clearly holds forth And consideriâ—g his sinless nature that was not lyable to death and that he had not these principles of dying in him disposing him to die that we sinful miserable mortals have is us And considering withal that the Lord Jâ—hovah was to speak so pursuing him as siâ—ners Câ—uâ—ioner at the Bar of Justice it was meet yea necâ—ssary that our blessed Lord should not die an ordinary death as men die ordinarily through weakness or sickness on their beds but a violent death Use It serves to be a confirmation of this truth that the Messiah behoved thus to die therefore we say in the Belief He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Which shews 1. The reality oâ— his satisfaction and the compleat payment that he made to Justice when he layes down that price which the sinner ought to have laid down 2. It shews the reality of our Lord's sufferings and that they were not imaginary but that as he was a real and true man so his sufferings were most real His soul was separat from his body though the union betwixt both his body and soul and the God-head continued still 3. It holds forth a proof and confirmation of our faith in this that our Lord Jesus is the Messiah that was Prophesied of and promiâ—ed in whom all the suffâ—rings in his soul and body that were spokâ—n of to go before his death were accomplished and in whom this was also accomplished that he was cut off out of the land of the living So that if we look rightly on the Scriptures our Lords sufferings will be so far from being matter of stumbling that they will rather be a clear convincing and evident proof that Jeâ—us of Nazareth is the true Messiah and that in him all th t was spoken concerning the Messiah is fulfi led and came to pass 4. It 's mâ—tter of great consolation to believers that our Lord Jesus who is now exalted died and so death is spoiled and there needs not be any great fear for them to yoke with it This land of the living is not their rest within a little they must be gone hence Our Lord was cut off from it and that by a shameful death for the behove and sake of others and not for himself and therefore his death cannot but be made forth-coming for them for whom he under-went it and their petty suffâ—rings need not much to vex them Those plainest truths that are most ordinary have in them most of spiritual sap juâ—ce and life to strengthen Faith and to furnish consolation to Believers And were they rightly understood and fed upon by Faith O how lively might they be And were there no more but these two words in thâ— Text. O how much consolation do they yield in lâ—fe and in death Our Lord is gone before Believers and they may be greatly heartned to follow him The last part of or the last thing in the words seem to have some more obscurity in it and therefore we shall insist the more in opening up of the same For the transgression of my people was he stricken These words do not look to the reason why Pilate and the Priests condemned him for they had no thoughts of the sins of Gods people Though Caiaphas stumbled as to himself by guess on a Prophesie of his dying for them but they give a reason why he was cut off out of the land of the living And look to the Court and Tribunal of God's Justice before which he was standing by which he was to be sentenced to death for the transgressions of God's people and also absolved He was thus stricken in respect of God's purpose and design For clearing of the words it may be inquired 1. What is meant here by my people 2. What is it to be stricken or smitten for them For the 1. My people it is a discriminating or differencing thing of some from others And therefore by my people here is not meant 1. All the world or all that ever lived and had a beeing We find not any where in Scripture that these are called my people or God's people but when ever my people is spoken of it is used to rid Marches betwixt his people and
other people that are not his as Joh. 10 26 27. Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep my sheep hear my voice and I know them which supposeth that some are his and others not so his and so my people cannot be all the world Neither 2. Can it be meant of the whole visible Church who in respect of the external administration of the Covenant are sometimes called his people as all Israel are There is a narrower march or boundary drawn John 10.26 Where the Lord speaking of them that were only externally in Covenant with him sayes Ye art not my sheep to shew that his reckoning there must not go upon external profession And vers 16. Some that were not for the time professing themselves to be his people are reckoned Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring in Nor 3. Can it be limited to them that were actually converted and Believers for he says as I iust now hinted that he hath other sheep that are not yet brought in and he is said to gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad John 11.52 So then by my people must be understood these who in Gâ—d's eternal purpose are separat by the Decree of Election to be his own even these whom he hath chosen to glorifie himself in and by them through his Grace and to glorifie them with himself Even these spoken of John 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me They are the people who were transacted for in the Covenant of Redemption and that were given by the Father to the Son to be redeemed by him It was for their sins even for the sins of the Elect that our Lord Jesus was stricken As for the 2d What is it to be stricken for their transgression The meaning is the meritorious cause of their stroak was on Christ which intimats to us that his sufferings and death were procured by the sins of the Elect of God His stroak or the stroak that was upon him as the word is was the amends that Justice got for their sins In a word the stroak that the Elects sins procured and merited Took him out of or away from the land of the living brought him to prison and to judgement and made his soul an offering for sin Neither can this be otherwayes understood For it is not said that for their good or for their behove only or to be an example and pattern of patience only to them he was stricken as some grossly erroneous and prophane men expound the words but for their transgressions was he stricken That is it was their guilt which he having undertaken and engaged to satisfie for which made him lyable to this stroak In this part of the words thus opened up we have two notable Points concerning the Covenant of Redemption 1. The Party for whom it is contrived and intended and that is the Elect or God's People It is not all the World nor all Visible-Church-members that God transacted for in the bargain with the Mediator but my people the Elect of God they were so considered in the transaction and in the execution 2. The great price that was sought or required that was offered and that was agreed upon for the Redemption of the Elect to wit the death of the Mediator even his dying the cursed death of the Cross This is the sum for the transgressions of God's people the stroak was upon him God's design being to glorifie his grace in the salvation of so many sin having interveened to bring them under the curse There is upon the one side the Lord 's giving of them to the Mediator to be redeemed by him and upon the other side the Mediators accepting of them on the terms proposed he is content to satisfie for them to take the stroak on himself deserved by them that they may go free each of these may be considered several wayes for furnishing of sweet Doctrines 1. From the first of these Observe that there are some differenced from others in respect of God's purpose some chosen of God for his people beside all the rest of the World For some are here God's people ere they be born and ere Christ die for them John 17.16 Thine they were and thou gavest them me They are supposed to be God's people in some peculiar respect ere they be given to Christ to be redeemed by him In a word the Lord hath an elect people or a people chosen to salvation in his eternal purpose and decree an elect people or a people chosen out of the world which in this respect are not his people or are not elected There are four qualifications or properties in this Doctrine which will serve to clear it 1. When we say there is such a decree of Election we say that it is a discriminating or differencing decree wherein or whereby there is a taking of some and not all a taking of one and leaving another a taking of Isaac and a leaving of Ishmael a taking of Jacob and a leaving of Esau as it is Rom. 9. And this discrimination or differencing hath these four steps 1. There is a differencing in Gods purpose in respect of the end while all men are alike before him some are designed to erernal life others not therefore Mat. 25.34 it 's said Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world and in this respect the Book of Life is said to be opened Revel 20.12 2. This differencing is in respect of God's offering and giving of them to the Mediator in the Covenant of Redemption wherein some not all are given to Christ John 17 2. That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him out of the world Where it is clear that so many are given to him in reference to whom he is to exercise his offices 3. There is a differencing in respect of Christ's undertaking and executing his Offices for them he accepts of them John 17.9 For their sakes I sanctifie my self I have separated my self to the Office of Mediator and do offer my self for them that they also may be sanctified And I pray for them I pray not for the world it 's of them that he maketh that sweet account John 6.39 This is the Fathers will that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And of whom he saith John 10.28 29. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand He answers and is accountable for them and for them only he will count for no other as being redeemed by him and to be made partakers of his glory 4. This differencing is in respect of the promises made upon Gods part to the Mediator in favours of the Elect and of the benefits that flow to them from the
one in Hell Who made thee to differ or what hast thou O man that thou hast not received it's election that makes the difference and it 's sure for their salvation is founded on Gods purpose and decree which is the solid rest of a Believer kindness began not on our side but on Gods as Christ says Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you John 15.16 4ly It says this That all of you had need to make your calling and election sure that is the very hinge of Believers consolation even to have the proof of it in your Conscience that ye are inrolled here to get out the extract of this decree that ye may see and read your names in it Hence many streams of consolation flow out if it be so with you then ye were given to Christ Christ undertook to satisfie Justice for you ye shall get Faith and more Faith ye shall get Repentance and Sanctification and ye shall get Heaven and Glory at the end of your course If it be said this is much how shall it be brought about we answer it 's not impossible and to make it out take but two words that are both directions and marks the practice whereof will give a solid proof of your inrolment in Gods book whence all these great and glorious things have their rise 1. Where there is a yielding to Christs call in the Gospel a closing with him that evidenceth election for it is certain that none shall nor can come to Christ and believe in him but the Elect and whoever are elected must and shall come sooner or later John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and John 10.4 His sheep follow him and know his voice they accept of and make welcome Christs call in the Gospel and they that accept of it are elect So that there is no need of any new revelation about the matter neither needs there any torturing anxiety to know how to come by thy name in the roll of the Elect try it by this if thou hast given obedience to the call of the Gospel if thou hast in the sense of thy need of a Saviour fled unto â—esus Christ and on his own terms closed with him by this thy tenure or holding is sure and by this thou hast an evidence that thou art an elect for his Sheep come unto him and hear his voice and as many of you as soundly believe on him and have betaken your selves to him for life and salvation have the seal and witness in your selves that your names were in Gods roll and book before the World was But if this be not debate dispute question as ye will about it whatever may be afterwards ye have no evidence for the time of your election 2. Where there is real Holiness or a real study and endeavour to be holy and more holy it is an evidence of election and of a persons being inrolled in the volumn of the book of Gods decree because Holiness is a fruit of election as is clear Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy never a person is really holy but such as God designed should be holy to this purpose the Apostle having 2 Tim. 2.21 spoken of election The foundation of the Lord stands sure having this seal the Lord knows who are his and let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity but in a great house are not only vessels of gold c. he subjoyns If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified c. not that election dependeth on mans Holiness but by his holiness he shall be manifested to be and accompted an elect Vessel and may warrantably conclude himself to be such so that true holiness brings folk to be acquainted with the great secret of Election and gives them boldness to make the application of it There is nothing that men readily desire more to know than this whether they be elected or not here is a sure way to come by the knowledge of it even to study to believe and to be holy and then we may be confident that our names were written in the Lambs book of Life but if we slight faith in Christ and Holiness whatever may be in God's purpose about us we have for present no ground to conclude our election upon God himself fixus in these things that have such mighty consequents depending on them SERMON XXXI ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken THE Prophet hath been long in describing Christs Sufferings and hath showen what height they came to even to prison and to judgment and to death it self He was cut off out of the land of the living now he casts in a word to shew wherefore all this was or what was the procuring cause that brought all this suffering and sorrow on Christ which also was the end that he had before him in it in these words for the transgression of my people was he stricken we shew that by my people here was not meant all men and women in the world nay not all men who are externally called in the visible Church but his Elect only these whom he hath chosen to be his People and separated from others by an eternal decree of Election we shew also that these words for the transgression of my people was he stricken do not contain only a reason of Christ's extream suffering even of his being brought to prison and to judgment before men but also and mainly of his being brought so before God and of his being cut-off for the sins of Gods People are not laid to his charge before men but before God they are and so it does imply an influence that the sins of the Elect had upon Christs Sufferings and a respect that his Sufferings had to their sins the Elects sins procured these Sufferings to him and his Sufferings were undergone by him for the satisfying of Justice for their sins and for the removing of them I shall not insist further in the exposition of the words having opened them up the last day but shall hint at a few Doctrines from them and because they are general and more doctrinal I shall be the shorter in speaking to them though it may be ye think not so much of them yet they are not a little for your edification and if ye were suitably sensible of sin and of your hazard there is no Doctrine concerning the Covenant of Redemption but it would be useful and refreshing to you There are several things implyed here concerning the efficacy of the price of Christ's death and concerning the extent of it as it 's laid down as a price for the sins of the Elect which
I shall first passingly touch upon and then come to these Doctrines that are more directly held forth in the words 1. Then it is implyed that there is a people of God separated from others and chosen by him on whom he intended and purposed before the World was to glorifie his grace The very designation that they get here clears this It 's my people not only of the Jews nor my people only of the Gentiles but my people both of Jews and Gentiles as Christ sayes John 10. Other sheep have I which are not of this fold them I must bring iâ— 2. It is implyed that this Decree of Election is antecedanius to and goes before the Covenant of Redemption in order of Nature it flows not from Christs death as the effect of it but is prior to it for if Christs death be the mean or price as indeed it is Whereby the sins of God's Elect people are satisfied for then the Decree of Election must preceed it Only we would beware to ascribe to God any priority or posteriority in his Decrees in order of time for he is infinite in wisdom and foresight and able to look on all things with one blink of beholding and to decree things infinite in number at once which we cannot conceive of nor comprehend But this we say that considering the order of things the Decree of Election is not a fruit or effect of Christs death but prior to it and Christ's death follows as a mean to make it effectual He is appointed to save the Elect from their sins and from that which their sins deserved For the transgression of my people was he stricken They were God's people by Election before Christ's ingagement to suffer and satisfie for them much more before his actual suffering and so their Election cannot be a fruit and effect of his suffering Use It serves to vindicate this truth from an error and mistake of the Arminians who as they overthrow the design of grace in the salvation of sinners in other steps thereof So do they in this in making Christ's death to preceed Election and Election to follow it But as we hinted before the Decree of Election is Soveraign being an Act of Grace absolutely free the Lord in it having designed some for manifesting the glory of his grace upon them as the end he hath taken in Christs death and other midses for the promoving of it 3. It is implyed here that even the Elect or God's People are considered as sinful in the Covenant of Redemption For the transgression of my people was he stricken They were considered as sinful as well as others when they were bargained for We need not here dispute whether they were considered as sinful in the Decree of Election it not being necessary in this place nor profitable for you but sure in Christ's undertaking for them they are considered as sinful for God sent not Christ neither came he into the world to purchase life and salvation to righteous folks but he was sent and came to lay down his life a ransome for many to wit sinners and therefore it is given as the reason of his Name Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Use 1. It serves to humble the Elect greatly who when ever they come to get grace they get it most freely for they were no better by nature than others whom God past by as is clear Eph. 2.1 We were dead in trespasses and sins and were by nature children of wrath even as others Peter and Paul were by nature children of wrath as well as Judas And David was a child of wrath by nature as well as Saul when this transaction concerning the work of Redemption was agreed upon and concluded betwixt these most responsal Parties 2. It serves also much for the encouragement of a Believer who is sensible of sin and afraid of wrath and in that posture betakes himself to Christ for refuge though his misbelief should make him say with Peter Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord yet this consideration may hearten him to draw near that Christ was stricken for sinners for the transgressions of his Elect people yea if tâ—ere had not been sin and if the Covenant of Works had holdâ—n foot there needed not to have been a Saviour and therefore sinners have here a solid ground to lay hold upon for life and salvation And therefore as a 3d. Use of it it is an unsafe assertion beside the curiosity of it that Antinomians maintain which is that though man had never fallen yet Christ would have become Man For we see here that Christs becoming Man and his being stricken flowed from his being Surety for Elect sinners and his being Surety flowed from the Covenant of Redemption concerning Elect sinners To be wise without or beside and above what is written in the Scriptures it 's vanity pride and folly 4. It is implyed here that sin where-ever it is deserves stroaks even the sin of the Elect Yea we may add this to it that not only do the sins of the Elect deserve stroaks in themselves being breaches of God's Law but that there is an actual curse standing against them till it be removed And God's threatning The day thou eats thou shalt surely die infers a necessity of stroaks This we say is clearly implyed here because the Mediator entering himself Surety for the Elects debt behoved to be smitten and when he was so smitten sure sin must deserve much We speak not of an absolute necessity but God having revealed to man his duty and added a threatning that in the day he should eat he should die there is a necessity in respect of God's truth faithfulness and unchangeableness who had spoken the word that stroaks should follow sin for sin cannot be removed till the threatning be satisfied Use This may point out to us that sin is no little nor light thing neither is the obtaining of pardon any easie business whatever men generally think of them There are many sad stroaks that follow sin which will hotly pursue sinners who are not in Christ O! do not then think lightly of sin which is the Fountain of so much misery and woe to the sinner If ye knew how exceedingly bitter wrath and the curse is that foâ—lows sin ye would as soon put your head in the fire as ye would meddle with it If ye believed that word to be true which is in Exod. 34 He will by no means clear the guilty And if ye believed God's faithfulness that is ingaged to make good his threatnings challenges for sin would be more strong and stinging 5. It is implyed here that though the Elects sins deserve wrath and that there must be a satisfaction ere they can be removed that yet the Elect cannot satisfie for themselves For the transgressions of my people was he stricken Christ behoved to be smitten ere their sin could be removed If
the Elect could have done their own business they needed not to have been so much in Christs common and debt nor to have given him thanks for his undertaking But this is brought in to hold forth the condescendency of his love that when no other thing could do it he interposed as Surety The abominableness of sin was so great that the Majesty of God his infinite Holiness and his spotless Justice being wronged and the finite Creature not being able to make amends for the wrong done did require this For all mankind yea all the Holy Angels could not satisfie for the wrong done by one man to the infinite God therefore he sayes I am the Saviour and there is none else He gives defiance to all Saviours beside himself None can redeem his brothers soul from death nor give a price sufficient for it the redemption of it ceaseth for ever among the Creatures Use Study then to be suitably sensible of this ye may possibly think it to be but a common Doctrine but alaee ye walk not under the due and deep conviction and sense of it hence it comes to pass that so few think themselves in Christs common and that so few make their address to him Ask the most part how they think they will win to Heaven They will readily name many things and wayes ere they light on Christ and Faith in him If they have done a fault they say they will make a-mends or they will pray for pardon and they think that will do the turn Such have this language in effect that either there is no need of satisfaction for sin or that they can satisfie for themselves 6. It is implyed here that though the Elect have sinned and cannot satisfie for themselves yet it is necessary that a satisfaction be provided for them I do not say simply that whoever hath sinned must have a satisfaction made for them For the Lord hath left Legions of Angels and many thousands of reprobat Men and Women without hope of a Saviour or of a satisfaction But considering God's purpose to bring many Sons to Glory and his Decree of Election which must needs stand and that the Elects names are written in the Book of life It is impossible that they can ly still under the curse but must be satisfied for and redeemed from it For the transgression of my people was he stricken My people have sinned and must be redeemed On supposition of the Decree of Election our Lord undertook that great work the Elect cannot perish sin cannot draw them utterly away from God Not only shall no externals such as Devils or Men Persecution Tribulation c. be able to come betwixt them and life but not sin it self that is within them His Decree being peremptory must stand as he sayes John 10. I have other sheep which are not of this fold them also I must bring in God's purpose cannot be frustrated nor altered therefore of necessity their sins must be satisfied for 7. It 's implyed here that for this end to wit that the Elect might be saved from sin and that Gods Decree of Election might stand sure Christ Jesus became Surety and did undertake to satisfie for their sins otherwise he could not have been lyable to be stricken for them if he had not become Surety for them That he was for the transgression of God's people stricken sayes plainly that he was ingaged for them as it is Heb. 7.22 He was made Surety of a better Testament And Psal 40.7 Then said I Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God These things being spoken after the manner of and borrowed from the bargainings or transactions that use to be amongst men we may conceive the business thus hinted before there is the Fathers refusing of somewhat Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desâ—re and his proposing of another thing and that is that the Mediator would engage for the Elect And upon the other side there is the Mediators offer to undertake and his actual undertaking and accepting of the Fathers proposal when Sacrifices and Offerings when thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl will not do it Lo I come saith he And then for a conclusion of the Bargain and Transaction there is the Fathers accepting of his undertaking he is content to take his sufferings as the price for the Elects debt Hence John 17. he saith Thine they were and thou gavest them me that is thine they were by Election and thou gavest them me to be redeemed by me And Heb. 10.10 it 's said that it is by this will that we are sanctified that is by the will of the Father that the Son should be Surety Use Look upon the work of Redemption as a great gracious and glorious work about the designing and contriving whereof the Father Son and Holy Ghost were occupied to speak so with reverence before the World was He might have made Worlds of Angels and of sinless Men and Women at a word and yet he hath graciously condescended to this way for redeeming of the poor Elect. We are alace sinfully disposed to think little of the Salvation and Redemption of a Soul but it is a great matter in God's account the deepest of whose consultation to say so is taken up about it and in the contrivance whereof the manifold wisdom of God conspicuously shineth forth and as in other things therein so in this that there was an ancient undertaking and ingaging by Jesus Christ in the room of the Elect as their Surety 8. While it is said For the transgression of my people was he cut off and stricken it implyâ—s that Christ in his undertaking for the Elect did oblidge himself to undergo all these sufferings that were due to them and even the suffering of a cursed death which was the curse threatned against man for sin The day thou eats thou shalt surely die And though Christ becoming Surety and Cautioner the Party is altered yet the price is still continued to be the same as is clear Gal. 3.13 He was made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles Whereby the Justice of God is vindicat and he hath access to shew mercy to the Elect without any the least imputation to it Nay this way is more for the vindicating of God's Justice and for the making of his faithfulness to shine that Christ became Man and died for the Elect than if the curse had lighted and lyen on all the Elect themselves and it is a greater aw-band on sinners against sin I say again that hereby the pure and spotless Justice of God is more vindicated and hIs faithfulness more demonstrated when he will needs so severely and with so much holy rigidity exact of the Cautioner the Elects debt to the least farthing then if they had suffered themselves eternally It shews forth also both the manifold wisdome and
of patience and obedience to them But the efficacy of his death was from the beginning of the world He was still in that sense the Lamb slain before his Incarnation as well as since And if it be not meritorious in procuring Salvation to Elect Infants what influence or advantage can it have as to them Either they are not taken to Heaven at all or they are taken to Heaven and yet not in the least obliged to Christ for their being brought thither or if they be obliged to him it is certainly by vertue of the merit of his sufferings for expiating the sins of his people 4. It 's clear from this that in this same Chapter and throughout the Gospel all the benefits that come to Gods people as namely Justification and pardon of sin they are attributed to this as the cause of them as vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many And if all the spiritual benefits that come to us were procured by his death there must necessarily be vertue in it that procured them and it must be a price and satisfaction in reference to the procuring and purchasing thereof that he laid down in his dying 5. It is clear from the end that God had before him in the work of Redemption and in Christ's Sufferings which was to glorify his Justice as well as his Mercy and that neither of them might be clouded or reflected upon now by Christ's death God's Justice is glorified and he is seen to be just in executing his threatning against sin even in the person of his own dearly beloved Son when he became Surety for sinners but if his sufferings had not a satisfaction in them to Divine Justice though there might be some shew of shewing Mercy yet none at all of a satisfaction to Justice but saith the Apostle Rom. 3.25 26. God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness and that he might be just and the justifier of them which believe in Jesus by this God hath made it manifest that he is a just God that none may preposterously presume upon Mercy nor dare to bourd with sin when it is pursued in the Surety with such severity For Use and Application 1. Do not think these truths to be of little concernment to you as alace they and such like truths of the Gospel are often thought of by many and therefore they are tasteless to them and it 's a weariness to people to hear them spoken of and yet notwithstanding this same truth that we are now upon is a great ground of our faith for if we believe not this that Christ was a propitiation for sin we can have no ground of lippening to him or believing on him but knowing and being confirmed in the faith of this truth we have cordially closing with him ground from it to expect God's favour and to be fred from the curse because Christ as our Surety undertook and accordingly satisfied for us which is the thing that makes his death to be sweet that Christ in his death should demit himself to leave us an example is much yet if we had no more by it it would be but cold comfort except we had it as a satisfaction to Divine Justice to rest upon Though this may be looked upon as doctrinal only yet it comes nearer to our practice then we are aware of and though we have not Socinians in opinion and profession to deal with yet we have two sorts that are Socinians in heart amongst us 1. These that securely sin on still and yet hope to get mercy and who will confess that they are sinners but that for making an amends they will pray and mend their life and they will speak of a number of things but it may be not one word of Christ or of his purchase or of their natural inclination to presume and to slight Christ as if they had nothing yet to look to but a Covenant of works without a Saviour or as if God had removed or would remove the curse threatned without a satisfaction so that Christs satisfaction is not known nor rested on by the multitude of Hypocrites that live in the visible Church and this is easily proven from this that there are but very few who make use of him or stand in awe to sin if it were believed that Justice required and will have satisfaction either of the sinner himself or of a surety in his room and that Christ is the only Surety Folks would either quite their hopes of Heaven or be more in Christs common and that so many mantain the hope of Heaven without a due consideration of a satisfaction to Justice by Christ and without employing of him it declares plainly that they are drunken with this error A 2d sort are these who being wakened in Conscience and sensible of sin yet are as heartless hesitating and hopeless to get peace through him as if he had not satisfied what else does the doubting and despondency of such say but that there is not a compleat satisfaction in Christ's death and that therefore they dare not trust to it otherwise they would wonder that God hath provided such a remedy and yet adventure to rest upon it seing God is as well pleased with it as if they had not provocked him at all or had satisfied his Justice themselves 2ly It serves to let us see what we are in God's common and debt and how much we are obliged to the Mediator when there was a necessity that either he should suffer or that we should perish and that though his sufferings drew so deep as to bring him to prison and to judgment and to put him to a holy sinless anxiety and perplexity that yet he yielded to it and underwent all for our sakes this is our great ground of confidence and the strong stay of the mind of a wakened Believer And should make us wonder at the Fathers love that gave the son and at the Sons love that was so condescending and should make our souls warm towards him who when we deserved nothing but to be hurried away to the Pit was content to enter himself as our Surety and to pay our Debt It should also be a motive to chase souls in to him knowing that where sin is there a satisfaction must be and that there is therefore a necessity to fly to him and to be in him because there is no other way to get Justice satisfied the through conviction whereof is that which through grace not only chaseth the soul to but engageth it to close with Christ and to rest upon him and to give him the credit of its thorow-bearing when it is ready otherwise to sink Now the Lord himself teach you to make this use of this Doctrine SERMON XXXII ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the
speaks of them John 17. he opposeth them to and contradistinguisheth them from all others I pray for them I pray not for the world buy for them that thou hast given me out of the world to let us know that the things prayed for to the one are denied to the other according to the strain of the Covenâ—â—t Aâ— ad ground is drawen from the strain and frame of the Covenâ—nt of Redemption where we find two things clear 1. That as to the end and convey of it the Elect are the only Persons for â—hose good and behove it 's intended and if it be the Elect for whom he entered in that Covenant theâ— the advantage good and benefite of the Elect must be eâ—ed in this main aâ—ticle of the Covenant which relates to Chriâ—'s death and sufferings For 1. In the Covenant of Redemption the good of the Elect is proposed and designed by the Father as is clear John 6.39 40. This is the Fathers will that sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing and this is the Fathers will that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life which will be the more clear if we consider the time when this is spoken it 's at such a time when many will not come to him and belâ—â—ve on him as vers 36 37. Ye also have seen me and believe not all that the Father hath given shall come unto me and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out for I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me and then follows This is the will of him that sent me c. and vers 43 44. Murmure not saith he among your selves no man can come to me except the Father that sent me draw him this ye heard of from John 17.2 at greater length 2. Look on the Son's side of the Covenant and it will also be clear for his undertaking must be according to the Fathers proposing if the Father did not propose all but some only to be redeemed then his undertaking must be for these some and not for all conform to the Fathers proposal Psal 40. Then said I lo I come to do thy will O my God now the Fathers will is that the should undertake for these given him and it 's not his will that he should undertake for others therefore he did not undertake for them 3. Christs sufferings and death are the execution of the Fathers will and therefore must be the execution of his undertaking according to his engagement for the Elect and given ones therefore these two are put together John 17.9 and 19. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me and for their sakes I sanctifie my self that is for their sakes whom thou hast given me and not for the world He sancrifies himself for them for whom he prays for them that are given him and no more 2ly This is clear in the Covenant that Christs death is intended thereâ—n as all other Mercies covenanted are that is to say to whom Faith Effectual Calling Justification c. are covenanted for these is Christ's death covenanted and for none others for the Covenant being mutual the repromâ—ssion on the Fathers part must be of equal extent with the Son's stipulation but all these are only peculiarly applicable to the Elect as benefites flowing from and following upon Christ's death which therefore must be peculiarly intended for them as being undergone for them hence when Christ speaks of Faith and Effectual Calling John 6. he says All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and none other will nor can come so Justification Pardon of Sin c. are bought to the Elect and to none others and when the smallest of blessings are covenanted and articled for none other but for the Elect shall Jesus Christ himself that gift of God or his death which is the chief thing articled in the Covenant be covenanted for or applyed to any others but to them A 3d. ground is drawen from Christs executing of his Offices for this piece or part of Christs executing of his Office must correspond and be of equal extent with all the other parts and pieces of his Offices such as his effectual teaching interceeding subduing to himself c. which are no broader then the Elect for he executes no part of any of his Offices for the behove and benefite of any but of the Electâ— he saâ—ingly enlightens no others he subâ—uts none others to the faith of the Gospel he interceeds for none others his intercession is not for the world therefore his death must be for none others all these being commenturâ—â—le and oâ— equal extent his intercession being grounded on his suffâ—ring therefore Joh. 17. he lays by the world expressly as theâ—e for whom he will not pray and looks back to the Covenant as the ground of his undertaking for the Elect given him out of the world and not for others and if he will not pray nor interceed for others what reason can be given of his dying for others when he will not do the less which is to pray for them it were absurd to think or say that he will do the greater which is to lay down his life for them A 4th ground is this Christ's death is one of the peculiar evidences of his deâ—rest love beyond which there is none greater and a main proof and fruitâ— thereof and therefore is not common to all but is intended for them only whom he peculiarly loves and designs to bring through to glory which is clear Eph. 5.26 Husbands love your wives as Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it c. Rom. 5.5 God commends his love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us John 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that a man should lay down his life for his friends there is a world of Reprobates whom Christ never loved with peculiar love and sure for these he did not die Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated saith the Lord Rom. 9.13 which the Apostle holdeth forth as a sort of copy of God's dealing in reprobation and election in reference to all Mankind and where the Lord himself hath set bounds betwixt them whom he loves and hates it 's too great liberality or rather too great presumption for any under whatever specious pretences to extend this his peculiar love to these whom he disclaims A 5th ground is taken from the effect thus All for whom Christ died are justified and freed from the guilt of their sins in due time but Christ Jesus hath not purchased and actually procured freedom to all men from their sins all men be not justified therefore he laid not down his life for all For 1. It cannot be said that he laid down his life for purchasing and buying of such wares
ground Hence alace it is that many will say God is merciful and Christ died for all sinners and for me and so sleep it out in security I am perswaded that much of the security and presumption that abounds among carnal Professors is from this ground that grace is fancied to be thus broad and large We grant that as to the convey and nature of it it 's broad but in respect of the objects on whom it is bestowed it 's narrow though it cometh from large bowels 3. It exceedingly marrs and diminisheth mens thankfulness for when a mercy is judged to be common who will praise for it as he would do if it were special and peculiar That which is a great ground of thankfulness for Election Effectual Calling Justification c. is because these mercies are peculiar even so that which makes the redeemed thankful for Redemption is because they are redeemed and bought when others are left hence is that Song of the redeemed company Rev. 5.9 Thou art worthy to open the Book for thou wast stain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kind ed and tongue and people and nation It hightens not their praise that all of every kindred and tongue and nation were redeemed but this doth it that when the Lord had the whole world before him he was graciously pleased to purchase and redeem them out of it that as it is John 11.52 He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad They therefore I say bless him and wonder when they consider that they are pitched on who are by nature the same with these that are past by were a strange thing to affirm that they who are in Hell have as great ground of praise and of saying We thank thee for thou hast redeemed as by thy blood as these that are in Heaven have 4. This making of grace so wide and large in his extent as to take in all doth leave the people of God altogether comfortless But it may be here said How is it that it is more comfort to Believers that grace is peculiar in saving and that but a few are redeemed in comparison of others that are not redeemed then if we should extend it unto and account it to be for all Or how is this more comfortless to them that grace is made universal Answer 1. Because if it were universal many whom Christ died for are now in Hell and what consolation can there be from that A man may be redeemed and yet perish and go to Hell for all that But it 's strong consolation when this comes in If when we were enemies we were reconciled by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life If he died for us when we were enemies will he not much more save us being friends 2. Suppose a person to be in black nature what comfort could he have by looking on Redemption as universal He could not expect Heaven by it for many expect Heaven on that ground who will never get it But it 's a sort of consolation even to them that are without to consider that Redemption is peculiar to some For though all get not Heaven yet they that believe get it and so upon their closing with Christ the consolation presently flows out unto them Whereas if they should lay it for a ground that Christs death were universal they could never have solid ground of consolation by flying to him 5. This errour doth quite overturn and enervat the whole Covenant of Redemption and peculiar love 1. It enervats and obscures the wisdome that shines in it if Christ may buy and purchase many by his death who shall yet notwithstanding perish 2. It enervats and obscures the love and grace that shine in it for it makes Christ to cast away the love and grace of it to reproâ—â—e and â—o to cast pearls to swine 3. Tâ— obscures the freedom of it which â—â—y tâ—â—â— in his taking of one and refusing another as it is Rom. 9.11 12. The children not being yet born and having done neither good nor 〈◊〉 that thâ— pâ—â—pose of God according to election might â—â—â—â—d 〈◊〉 of works but of 〈◊〉 that calleth it was said the elder shall serve the 〈◊〉 as it is written Jacob have I loved and Esaâ— have I hated 4. It obscures the Justice of it if he should but all and yet get but som for it being the design of God to inflict on Christ the curse that was due to sinners and to spare them if this should be the result of it that many for whom he died and took on him the curse should pâ—rish he should get but some of these whom he bought and Justice should twice exact satisfaction for one and the same debt once of the Surety and again of the Principal Debtor that perisheth Whereas when Christ becomes Surety they are set free for whom he was â—urety and it is Justice that it should be so We do the rather insist in the refutation of this errour because this is a time wherein it is one of the Devils great designs which he drives to trouble the clear Springs of the Gospel and to revive this errour amongst the rest And there is something of it in these poor fool Bodies who speak so much of a light within as if all were alike and had something which if they use well they may get life by This error alwayes leaves men to be Masters and Carvers of Gods Decree and of Christs purpose and design in the work of Redemption and suspends the benefit of his death mainly if not only on the consent of mans free-will A 2d Branch of the errour which this Doctrine refutes is that which is vented by some who are not professed enemies but in other things deserve well of the Church of Christ which therefore should be our grief to mention And it is this that though Christ hath not simply purchased Redemption from sin to all men that yet he hath taken away from all the sins of that first Covenant of Works as if there were as they say no sin for which men are now condemned but the sin of infidelity or unbelief But this is dangerous for iâ— If this be true that Christ's death is only a price for the sins of the Elect then there are no sins of others reckoned on his score 2. It halveth Christs purchase and hardly will we find Christs death divided which were to say that he hath bought a man in part or haâ—f from wrath and not wholly such a dividing of Christ and halving of his death seems not consistent with the strain of the Gospel for as there is one Sacrifice so there is one account on which it is offered 3. It seems to infer a good and safe condition to all them that die without sinning against the Gospel and so to Infants born out of the Church that never sinned against the Covenant of Grace
in some inconsiderable persons venting these things when the great Patrons and Authors of them lye derned and hid And it is observable which we have heard of late that some Ring-leaders in this time have declared themselves expresly for Popery Though we have reason to bless God that the people in this place are kept free of these things yet this truth is worthy the vindicating and the hazard and danger is to be guarded against by all of us when this foul Spirit is driving so hard and prevailing with some to publish abroad this errour in Papers And so seeking to draw people into the snare Lay down but these two Principles both now maintained that they that have Faith have no sin and that they that want Grace should not pray what would they turn to and resolve in Satan's design in this is doubtless to make all untender and it is both sad and strange that it is not seen and observed What a terrour and torrure would it be to an exercised and tender Christian and how would it put his Conscience on the wrack to say to him What a Faith is this of yours that cannot keep you altogether from sin and that cannot quite overcome the world God be blessed that hath given poor Believers other and better grounds in the Gospel by which to judge of their Faith so that they may own their Faith as found though they have a mixture of unbelief with it and yet unbelief is alwayes a sin and may say with that poor man Lord I believe help thou my unbelief 4ly Observe That to the making up of a perfect holy walk there is a necessity both of holiness in practice and of foundness in judgement that no deceit or guilt be in the mouth and that no violence be in the bands And this is needful to be taken notice of because many have an aptitude to think that folks may be truly holy be of what opinion judgement and perswasion they will As if God had left the mind of man to be a bare empty Table or Board that he might Write on it what-ever he liked or pleased But our Lord is vindicated here from the scandal of corrupt Doctrine as well as from scandals in his practice And therefore as we would say on the one hand to you who are sound in your judgement and hate errour that if ye be gross and untender in your practice the soundness of your judgement will not prove you to be holy So upon the other side we would say that though it were possible ye could be sinless in your practice if ye take a latitude and liberty as to your judgement to be corrupt and to vent what ye please ye will never get Gods approbation as being holy persons therefore let both be joyned together soundness in Judgement and tenderness in Practice God give the right use of these things SERMON XXXV ISAIAH LIII IX X. Vers 9. And he made his Grave with the Wicked and with the Rich in his death because he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth Vers 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him He hath put him to grief When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the the pleâ—sure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand WE were speaking somewhat the last day of our Lord Jesus His Innocency which is here compended and summed up in these two 1. That there was no violence in his hands 2. That there was no deceit in his mouth however he was accounted of among Men and by them numbred among transgressours yet he was so in very deed and before God The Prophet proceeds and answers an objection How came He then to Suffer if He was so innocent especially His Sufferings being ordered by God Who is said to give His Grave with the wicked He answers the Objection and removes the Offence by giving three Grounds for this v. 10. Yet it pâ—eased the Lord to bruise Him He hath put Him to grief This is the first Reason and it is taken from the Fountain whence His Sufferings proceeded Gods good Plâ—asure graciously ordered it so It was the good pleasure of Jehovah that so it should be The second Reason is taken from the Nature or End of His Sufferings in these Words when thou shalt make His Soul an offering for sin Though he suffered before Men as a sinner yet before God it was an Offering for sin To satisfie for and to remove the sins of His Elect People The word may be either When thou or when he shall make His Soul an offering for sin But both come to one thing which is this That His sufferings were not such as befell other Men nay nor such as befell innocent Men but they were ordered on an higher design and for an higâ—er End even to be a Satisfaction for Sinners and to make way for their Freedom A 3. Reason is this as His Sufferings flowed from God's good Pleasure and were a satisfaction for the sins of His Elect People so it hath notable and noble effects And there are Three mentioned here 1. He shall see His seed He shall have a numerous Off-spring many that shall hold Eternal Lâ—fe of Him Men by their suffering of death are incapacitate to increase their off-spring but this is a quickning Suffering and Death that hath a numerous off-spring 2. He shall prolong His dayes Which seems to be another paradox For Mens dayes are shortned by their Sufferings and Death But though He be dead and buried yet he shal Rise again and Ascend and sit down on the right-hand of the Father and live for ever to make Intercession for his People A 3. Effect which is the upshot of all The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand God hath designed Him for a Work which is the great Work of Redemption even the bringing of many Sons to glory This is the Will of Him that sent Him that He should give Eternal Life to as many as should believe on Him And this is called God's good pleasure which shall thrive and prosper in His hand He shall pull many Captives from the Devil and set many Prisoners free He shal by His Sufferings overcome the Devil Death and the Grave and all Enemies and shall gather the Sons of God together from the four Corners of the Earth and that Work shall not misgive nor be frustrated but thrive in His hand So then in this Text we have much of the Gospel compended in few Words We shal speak a little to one Observation more from the close of the 9. v. Where Christ Jesus His Sinlesness and Innocency is holden out in these two There was no violence in his hands no sinfull practice in Him And there was no deceit in his mouth Which looks not only to His sinless carriage before Men and so sayes that He was no Liar nor Dissembler in His Dealing and
that was caught 〈◊〉 the thicket of Thorns whereby Elect Sinners are fred and Himself made the Sacrifice that was provided in their room and place Thus in the Name that our Lord Jesus gets we have holden out to us the posture that all of us are in by nature if Christ interveen not to take the stroak off us on Himself laying Himself open to the stroak of Justice for Sin To clear it consider these three things which will hold out what this state and posture of ours is 1. The natural sinfulness and guilt that Men are lying under which makes them naked and to be as that wretched Infant spoken of Ezek. 16. Lying in their Blood cast forth into the open field to the loathing of their persons This makes God and them to be at feed and layes them open to the stroak of Justice 2. Consider the interveening of the Law of God that threatens the Curse on sin wherever it is and pronunces this Sentence that the wages of sin is death and sayes to the Sinner as it is said to Cain If thou sin death lyes at the door and in this sense Sinners are not only lyke to Malefactors taken and apprehended but like to such when sentenced to death Therefore John 3.18 It 's said He that believes not is condemned already 3. Consider that Men in their natural state who have broken the Covenant of Works have Justice some way pursuing them to the executing of the Sentence which God in His Law hath pronunced against them and they are as these shedders of Blood before they betook themselves in to the City of Refuge having the avenger of Blood following hard at their heell's in which sense John 3.36 It 's said He that believes not the wrath of God abids on him There is an actual appointment or ordination of the Curse added to the Laws Sentence till by Christ it be removed and this is in some sort gripping Him and taking Him as it were by the throat By the First of these Man is found guilty and lyable to Judgement by the Second he is Sentenced but by the Third the Sentence stands over his head ready to be executed and bespeaks him thus therefore thou art cursed therefore thou art a dead Man Soberly think upon this and make these Uses of it 1. See here the condition of all Men by nature and your own in particular a very terrible and dreadfull condition wherein they are like Men lying bound to be a Sacrifice to the wrath of God the Lords hand being streatched out to lay on the stroak and the wrath of God abiding on them do ye indeed belleve this to be your state and posture till application be made of Christs Sacrifice and till there be a laying of your Sin over on Him by Faith that ever till then ye are lyable to the Laws Sentence and that the Curâ—e and Wrath of God abydeth on you and yet this is the state and posture of all the Children of Adam that have not got Jesus Christ put in their room It was Typicall if the People did not bring an offering as was prescribed their Sin remained in them but it 's reall here Sin and Wrath remain where Christ is not made use of by Faith The 2. Use is for Expostulation with many of you that are still in Nature and I wish there were fewer of you in this case to be spoken to How comes it to passe when this is your condition by Nature that ye are so secure and that ye have few or no apprehensions at all of the Wrath of God and of the hazard of your immortal Souls Ah! are there none such here that apprehend there hazard were ye ever under it and if so how have ye been delivered out of it or who is come in your room do ye think it nothing to be under Sin and the Curse of God to have Wrath abiding in you yea abiding on you There are many of you who are sleeping sound now and that disdain to notice Challenges but as Solomon speaks of the Man that was sleeping on the top of a Mast and compleaning of that and of them that deceived him So shall it be with you that can lye still securely sleeping in sin and that put by one day after another and do not make use of this Sacrifice All that the Gospel aims at is this that ye would seek to change rooms with Christ that the feed may be rem ved and that the quarrel that is betwixt God and you may not be continued and keeped up especially seing there is a way laid down how to get your Debt satisfied for which if ye neglect what wil ye do when your day is gone are there not many dying dayly and is there not a day of reckoning coming when the stroak that is hanging and hovering over your head will light and seeing it is so why do ye lye still and slight Jesus Christ If it were believed what dreadful wrath is abiding many whereof your secure senslesness and sensless security is a part and what a terror it will waken in your Consciences one day ye would certainly think it good news to have the Sufferings of Christ spoken of and the Benefit of them offered to you now The 3. Use is to stir up Sinners to thankfulnesse especially such of you as are blest with effectual counsel to make the right use of this Sacrifice O! Consider how much ye are oblidged to God and to Christ the Mediator the preaching of the Gospel is now thought little of and is tastlesse to many but did ye know what is your state and posture by Nature how near ye are to hell and how near the Curse and Wrath are unto you even ready to grasp at you to tear and devour you the Mediators interposing to Satisfie for you would make him more lovely to you and ye that have gotten interest in Him secured would think your selves much unspeakably much in His common to say so and in the Debt of His Grace this was the posture that Grace found you in even lyable to the stroak of Gods drawn Sword of Justice and our Lord Jesus on the one side stepped in and said hold Lord let that be on me and let them go free and upon the other side there was Gods good pleasure condescending to except of His offer and saying Awake O sword and smite the shepherd and spare the sheep what obligation should this lay upon you to love and be thankfull to God and to the Mediator who interposed to keep the stroak off you I say upon you who are sinners and apprehensive of Wrath This is Christs offer and if ye be flâ—d to Him for refuge he hath changed Rooms with you ye are much as I said in His Debt He hath fred you of your Debt and purchased an absolution to you and there is no condemnation to you as it is Rom. 8.1 Whereas before ye were in a manner condemned already
and by me and what is the Reason I pray that so many perish unâ—er the Gospel who in Word acknowledge this one Offering and that it is it only which takes away Sin but because that notwithstanding of that Conviction and Acknowledgement they are never brought actuaâ—ly to make use of Christ and of this His Sacrifice and Offering and if ye think and acknowledge that there are many that go to Hell tha have the Knowledge and Conviction of this Truth ye must also grant that it is because they make not Conscience to make use of it 3. Consider that though there be many of the hearers of the Gospel who do not rest on Christ yet it is very hard to convince any of them that they are ready to slight Christ's Sacrifice I am sure that both the former will be granted 1. That nothing but Christs Sacrifice can Satisfie Justice 2. That many do not rest on it and so perish but if we come to the 3. Sarcely shall we find one that will grant except it be a tender Bodie that they make not use of Him they will easily be convinced that Adultery is a Sin and that they are guilty of it if they be so indeed that Drunkenness and Sabbath-breaking are Sins yea possibly which is more that vaging of the Mind in Duties of Worship is a Sin and that they are guilty of it but it is not so easie to convince them that they are guilty of the Sin of not making use of Christ and of His Sacrifice nay they are so puft up with a good opinion of themselves that they will laugh at such a Challenge And hence it is that so few make use of Christ's Sacrifice and of His Righteousnesse because so few are convinced thâ—t they believe not on Him Therefore when the Spirit comes John 16. It 's said that he shall convince the world of sin not because they did Whorâ— Drink Sâ—â—â—ar c. 〈◊〉 Convictioâ—s for these Sins will not be wanting but because they believe not in Christ And hence it is Luke 13.25 That these will not take Christ's first answer I know you not what as if they said knows thou not us we have eaten and drunken in thy presence we have professed Faith in thee and our hope to get Heaven by thy Righteousness and yet He shall answer them again peremptorly depart from me I know you not Not that there will be much to do or any great difficulty to convince folk in that day or any room left to debate the businesse but He would tell us by this that many die in this Delusion And if it be a thing that Folks are so hardly convinced of had they not need to be seriously sollicitous that they be not deceived and disappointed 4. Consider how sad the disappointment wil be to Sinners on day when they shall be brought to acknowledge that they knew that there was no other Name given whereby Sinners could be saved but the Name of Jesus and yet that they slighted and rejected Him ye that never seriously minded compting and reckoning with God do ye think on this and that the passing of the Sentence will be upon this ground to wit whether ye have fled to Jesus Christ and made use of His Sacrifice or not will it not be a sad disappointment to meet with a dolefull depart from me on this ground because though there was some Conviction that this was the only Sacrifice and Sin-offering that takes away Sin that yet it was not made use of nor made the ground of your Peace with God But to the 2. What is it then to make use of this Offering I know no better way then to explain it from the Typical Sacrifices that were under the Law and we may take it up in these three 1. It implyes a through Conviction of Folks lyablelenesse to the Justice of God for Sin and in an utter inability in our selves and an utter emptiness and impotencie in all other Means to satisfie for Sin thus they that brought the Sacrifice to the Priest laid their hands on the head of the Beast by which they acknowledged that Death was due unto them So then to have the lively sense of the due desert of Sin that is to have the Sentence of Death carried about in our Bosom to have the through Conviction of the emptinesse of all other Means of relief is requisit to the right use making of Christ's Offering 2. It implyeth this that there be a look had to the Institution and Ordinance of God appointing this Sacrifice to be the Mean of the Redemption of Sinners Therefore in these Sacrifices that were Offered for Sin there was a respect had to Gods Covenant wherein were not only Promises relating to External Cleansing and to Admission to Church-priviledges but Promises also relating to inward Cleansing and to the Pardon of Sin which was the great End of these Sacrifices and the looking to the Institution of this Sacrifice is the Ground that leads us in to take up the end of Christs Sufferings and is a warrand for our Faith in the use making thereof being the only Sacrifice that expiats Sin and holds off Wrath and if these two things be not carried along in the use making of this Sacrifice to wit the Conviction of Sin and of the lyableness to Wrath and Gods Institution and Appointment of this Sacrifice to take away Sin and to avert Wrath our Use making of it is but Will-worship 3. It implyes this that when the Sinner is walking under the sense of his Sin and of the Emptinesse and Ineffectualnesse of all other things to remove Sin and Wrath as David hath it Psal 51.16 Thou desirest not sacrifice thou delightest not in burnt offerings There must be a looking to the Worth of Christ and of His Sacrifice that is appointed to take away Sin and hold off Worth and the Soul 's actuall applying of it self to His Offering and the applying of His Offering to it Self as we may see in the 4 5 6. and 16. Chapters of Leviticus where there are several Sacrifices appointed to be Offered for several Sins and particularly that of the Scape goat on the head whereof the Priest for the People was to lay his hands in which was implyed not only their acknowledgement of Sin and of their deserving of Death and of Gods appointment of that to be a Typical Offering for the Typical taking away of Sin but these two things â—urder were implyed 1. That they did take the Burden of their Sins which neither they themselves nor any other could bear anâ— laid it on Christ when Justice did put at them for their Debt to speak so they drew a Bill on Christ as their Cautioner to answer it and as they did put the Debt in His hand to be payed by Him so they Lippened and Trusted the weight of their Souls to Him and to no other So that when God was pursuing them for their Debt saying as it were
to the Work of Redemption as it is John 6.38 I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me And John 17.4 I have finished the work thou gavest me to do That will and this work is all one And Heb 10. It 's said by which or by this will we are sanctified 4. The Fathers admitting and accepting of Him to Interpose in the Room of them for whom He Offered Himself is implyed here for otherwayes His Offering up of Himself could not have been a Sacrifice Satisfactory to Justice if the Lord Jehovah had not been content so far to â—elâ—xe His Threatning and Curse in reference to the Partie Offending as to admit oâ— a cautioner in the Room of the Dyvour Sinners to Satisfie for them of which Satisfaction He accepted All these things put together make Christ's Interposing Himself as a Sacrifice and Surity compleat I delight to do thy will supposes not only God's pleasure that He should Interpose but His accepting of His Interposing And this is to speak so the Flooring and Founda ion of the Work of Redemption The S ntence stands over the Elect's Head Cursed are the Guilty Christ comes in and Iâ—terposes Cheerfu ly to take on the Debt and sayes here I am Let the Curse fall on me and let Satisfaction be taken from Me And this being Offered according to God's Will it is accepted and Christ's Satisfaction becomes an Offering in their Room Use See here a desperat Condition wherein by Nature we are all lying it sets us well in speaking of Grace to take a view of what we were And it shews how much Sinners are in Christ's Debt and Common that Interposed for us in this condition Could we suitably make inquiry what case we were in under the hand of Justice and it's Stroak ready to light on us And could we behold our Lord Jesus Christ Interposing for us and the Sword of Justice awaking against Him and smiting Him for us and the Lord Jehovah accepting of His Interposing and making His Soul an Offering for Sin And Him Willingly and Delightsomly Offering up Himself in our Room we would see our obligation to God who was pleased to contrive admit and accept of this Way and Mean of our Redemption And could we consider what aâ—vantages we have by this Redemption and what it cost Christ to obtain it we would see our selves much unspeakably much in His Debt The day is coming when it will be thought a favour and when the Sweet Effects of it shall be made fully forthcoming to them that now Cordially close with it And when the Fruit of Dispising it shall be found to be bitter like Gall and Wormwood 2. From it's being said when thou shalt make Or when His Soul shall make it self or He Himself shall make Himself an offering for sin Observe That as Christ undertook and by undertaking Interposed to come in Sinners Room to Satisfie for their Sins So His Death and Sâ—fferings are really the performing of that undâ—râ—aking And His Death anâ— Sufferings are so to be looked on and considered by us as an Offering for Sin or thus Christ's Death is the Sin-â—ff â—ing that Satisfiâ—d the Justice of God in tâ—e Room of â—lect Sinners This is the Sum or Compend of all that is spoken of His Sufferings If then it be asked what meaned they all Here it is He was made a Sin-offering we shall clear it a little in these three or four Parts or Branches 1. Christ is properly a Sin-offering or a Sacrifice for Sin He is properly the Propitiatory Sacrifice for Sin That Satisfice the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect. 2. This Sacrifice was especially Offered by â—im in His Death and Sufferings It 's His Suffering and Humiliation that is most properly this Sacrifice for iâ—'s that which is related here 3. That by Christ's Offering up of Himself He was not only outwardly Piâ—ched but His Soul was deeply affected and troubled In Satisfyinâ— the Sin-revenging Justice of God both His Soul and Body were Straitned and Stressed 4 By His Suffering there is a Sufficient Satisfaction given to Justice for the Sins of His People a Propitiation or Propitiatory Sacrifice that makes God Propititious to Elect Sinners as in Satisfying the Justice of God for Sin all other things are denyed to have a hand So there is a sufficient Efficacy and Worth in this â—acrifice to do the turn and by God it is accepted as such And so there is a fair way mâ—de to them for whom He Offâ—rs this Sacrifice to escape Sin and the Wrath and Curse of God and to be set free As for the First of these to wit That our Lord Jesus in His Dying and Suffering was Properly the Propitiatory Sacrifice or is Properly a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the taking away of Sin To clear it alittle we would consider 1. That Sacrifices are sundry wayes taken in Scripture 1. Sometimes they are taken improperly for Duties as Alms Prayers Praises c. Psal 51. The sacrifice of a broken heart thou wilt not dispise So also Heb. 13.15 16. 2. They are taken more properly for such Sacrifices as were Offered under the Law as of Bullocks Lambs Rams and Goats yet none of these was the true Propitiatory Sacrifice as is clear Heb. 10.4 It was impossible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin But Christ's Sacrifice is properly the Propitiatory Sacrifice It being by this Sacrifice that Believers under the Old Testament became partâ—kers of Redemption and obtained Remission of Sins as well as Believers do now under the New If it be then asked What is necessary to a Sacrifice properly so taken I answer these four things all which we will find to be in Christ's Sacrifice 1. That there be some thing or matter set a part to be Offered to God in the Room of some other thing as it was in the Typicall Sacrifices 2. That there be some appointed to offer the Sacrifice that there be some set a part for that very thing 3. That there be a Killing or Destroying of the thing that is Offered in a Sacrifice which especially in the Sin-offering was necessary to wit that it should be Kilâ—ed or Destroyed as we see in Exod. 29. and Leviticus frequently This had a Signification and the Lord would thereby point out Mans great guilt and the necessity of a Mediator in Order to the obtaining of Pardon for there could be no Remission or Pardon of Sin without Blood as it is Heb. 9.22 Therefore the Sinner behoved either to die himself or to have another to die for him and in his Room 4. The Sacrifice behoved to be Offered according to the manner prescribed by God as to all the Rites and Cerimonies injoyned Now we may see all â—â—â—se in Christ's Sacrifice For 1. He Himself is the Sacrifice Heb. 7.26 Heb. 9.26 Heb. 10.10 And â—requently elsewhere in that Epistle and 1. Pet. 2.24 Who his
own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree And when He had Offered up Himself as a Sacrifice he sat down on the right hand of majesty on high He is the alone Sacrifice that comes properly in the Room of Elect Sinners 2. As there behoved to be One to Offer the Sacrifice so Christ Jesus is the Priest that Offered up the Sacrifice of Himself He is not only the Sacrifice but the Priest And in this He differed from other Priests Heb. 7.26 Such an high Priest became us who is holy harmless seperat from sinners and made higher then the heavens and then follows who needs not dayly as these high priests to offer up sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people for this he did once when he offered up himself There are three things ordinarly Attributed to Christ as to His Sacrifice to wit That He was the Sacrifice the Altar and the Priest 1. He was the Sacrifice in respect of His Humane Nature which we are not so to look upon as Abstracting and Dividing it from His Divine Nature For though He Suffered in the Flesh yet it was the same Person that was God that Suffered 2 He was the Altar by which His Sacrifice received a speciall Efficacy Vertue Value and Commendation As it 's said The Altar sanctifies the offering So Christ Jesus according to His God-head was the Altar which did put an special excellency on His Sufferings and made them to be of such Worth and Value Therefore Heb. 9.14 It 's said that he through the eternal spirit offered up himself without spot unto God It was the Suffering of the Person that was God that made the Sacrifice to be accepted 3. He was the Priest and that according to both His Naturs each Nature concurring and that joyntly as in one Person to the making of the Sâ—crifice Offered up to God acceptable 3. We have in Him a reall destruction but do not mistake the Word It is not so to be understood as if He were annihilated or had been utterly destroyed and undone but the meaning is this That He was Killed or put to Death and His Soul seperat from His Body in which respect He ceased to be what He was before for a time having been really Slain Dead and Buried And 4. All this was according to God's prescription and appointment in the Covenant of Redemption This commandement saith He John 10.18 have I received of my Father to wit that I should lay down my life for my sheep And most emphatically He says John 14.13 as my Father gave me commandement even so mark even so most exactly in conformity to the Commandement do I It was all as to every circumstance ordered according to the good pleasure of God who was pleased thus to bruise Him and to put Him to Grief The 1. Use of it serves To teach us how to Conceive and Consider of Christ's Death and Sufferings rightly to wit even as a Sacrifice designed by God to come in the Room of Elect Sinners and how to look upon His Death not as the ordinary Death of ordinary or meer Men who by necessity of Nature Die but to look on it as being appointed of God to be a Sacrifice properly so taken for the Sins of His People 2dly This serves to clear some Truths concerning our Lord Jesus His Sacrifice For we must consider it as satisfying to Justice and Meritoriously procuring the escaping from Wrath and Salvation of them for whom He Interposed It is from the gross Ignorance or from the wicked denyal of this ground that the damnable denyers of Christ's Satisfaction do also deny the Propriety of His Sacrifice on Earth and bound it to Heaven whereas it is bounded to His Death though by vertue of this One Offering He continues to interceed for us in Heaven 3dly It teaches Sinners what is the native Use which they should make of this Sacrifice They should look upon it as the only Sacrifice to prevent Eternal Death and the Curse of God anâ— so it demonstrats to us that either Jesâ—s Christ must be received by Faith and His Sacrifice rested on or we must resolve to meet with Wrath and the Curse of God our selves in our own Persons 4ly It serves to clear us anent the Way and Tract of Grace to wit how it came to passe that our Lord who was innocent and without Sin was so bruised and put to grief He came to be a Propitiâ—tion for the Sins of His People and sisted Himself in our Room as our Cautioner as a Sin-offering for us It would doubtlesse gnash many Questions and Doubts that arise in the Hearts of Believers if it were well understood They may say we should have been in such and such a sad condition this and that terrible thing would have come on us if He had not Interposed never enough can these words be spoken and thought of that we have 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 5ly It serves for notable Consolation to Believers who have betaken themselves to Christ and have many Challenges for Sin to buckle with That His Death was to be properly a Sacrifice for Sin and was so accepted of God in their Room So that ye see the right uptaking of Christs Death is a matter of no little moment Christ crucified being the very Substance of the Gospel It helps much to keep alive the Impression of our Sinfulness and of the Goodness of God and gives us Direction how to escape Wrath by puting Him in our Room There is nothing wherein Folks more readily miscarry in making of their Peace with God then in not making the right use of Christ and of His Sacrifice and Death Some praying for Pardon of Sin from Him and not for Him or for His sake when they know not what they are saying as we hinted at before Some praying for strength from Him for Dutie that they may do for themselves not considering that we are Justified by His Interposing in our Room and by Faith's closing with Him under that consideration as fisting Himself at the Bar of Justice and as being content to be a Sin-offering and the Lord accepting of Him in the Room of Elect Sinners This being well considered gives to Faith much clearness how to take Him up when the Soul honestly aims to partake of the benefit of His Sufferings 2ly For clearing this a little further we would know That there are as Divines observe Four or Five wayes how the Death of Christ is to be considered or how Christ in procuring by His Death Redemption Peace and Pardon to Sinners is holden forth in Scripture 1. He purchases Redemption and Pardon of Sin Meritoriously or He Merits it by His Death this Respects the Value of Christ's Sufferings and Satisfaction So that if we consider Christ in Himself and the Elect in themselves His Death
and these Sufferings are more then if all the Elect had Suffered Eternally in Hell 2 His Death is considered as a Satisfaction And this looks to the Wrong that Men by Sin have done to God That the finit and feckless Creature durst be so malapert as to break God's Command It required a Satisfaction equivalent to the Wrong done though the Word Satisfaction be not in Scripture yet the thing is Christ Jesus for the Restoring of God to His Honour That was as to the Manifestation of it wronged by Mans Sin comes in to perform the will of God and to Satisfie for the wrong done Him by Man that it may be made known that God is Holy and Just who will needs avenge Sin on His own Son the Holy and Innocent Cautioner when He Interposes in the Room of the Sinner which vindicats the Spotless Justice and Soveraignity of God as much as if not more then if He had exacted the satisfaction off the Sinners themselves As it is Rom. 3.16 To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus 3 Christ's Death is considered as a Redemption of Man from Sin the Law and the Curse because lyable to a Debt which he cannot of himself pay and His Death was in this respect a paying of the Debt that Man was owing and a loosing of the Captive and Imprisoned Sinner even as when a Piece of Land is morgaged and a Person comes in and payes that for which it was Morgaged So Jesus Christ comes in and as it were asks what are these Men owing and what is due to them It 's answered they are Sinners Death and the Curse are due to them well saith He I will take their Debt on my Self I will pay their Ransom by undergoing all that was due to them He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law saith the Apostle Gal. 3.13 being made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles And so Christ's Death in this respect is to be looked on as a laying down of the same Price that Justice would have exacted of Men His Death is the paying of our Ransom and Satisfying of the account that was over our head 4. His Death is considered as it furthered the Work of the Redemption of Elect Sinners by a powerful annulling of the Obligation that was against us and by a powerfull overcoming of all enemies that kept us Captive He grapled and yocked with the Devil in that wherein he seemed to be strongest and overcame him He tore the Obligation that stood over Sinners heads as it is Coll. 2.14 15. Blotting out the hand writting of ordinances that was against us and that was contrary to us he took it out of the way nailing it to his cross and having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it In this respect though His Death be one of the lowest steps of His Humiliation yet considering Him as in it prevailling over the Devil and other Enemies He is to be looked on as powerfully Working and efficaciously perfecting our Salvation In the former respect He payes God the Debt that was due by Sinners in the Latter Respect considering the Devil and Spiritual Enemies as so many Jaylours keeping Sinners Prisoners He by His Death wrings as it were the Keyes out of their hands and sets the Prisoners Free 5. Christ's Death is considered as it is in the Text As an Offering and Sacrifice for Sin In this respect it looks to God as displeased with Man and our Lord Jesus Interposes to pacifie Him and to make Him well pleased and that by the means of His Death God's Peace Favour and Friendship may be recovered to poor sinfull Men All these Considerations of the Death of Christ are but one and the same upon the matter Yet thus diversified they serve to shew how unexpressibly much Sinners are oblidged to Christ what great advantages they have by Him And what a desperat condition they are in who are without Him having nothing to satisfie Justice nor to pay their Debt with 2dly We said that this Sacrifice was especially Offered by Him in His Death Therefore He is said to Offer this Sacrifice on the Cross He himself as Peter hath it 1 2.24 bare our sins in his body on the tree Heb. 9. at the close And Heb. 10.14 It is said that he once offered up himself to bear the sins of many and by his once offering he hath perfected for ever these who are sanctified So that this Offering is to be applyed to that which He suffered on Earth before He ascended and it is in this respect that He is a Propitiatory Sacrifice though as I said the Vertue thereof is still communicated by Him now when He is in Heaven Use This serves to remove two Errors about Christ's Sacrifice The 1. is that which bounds and limits Christ's Offering and Priest-hood to His going to Heaven thereby to enervat the Efficacy of His Sufferings and Death quit contrary to this Scripture wherein the Prophet explicating His Sufferings on Earth calleth them an offering for sin The 2. is that Blasphemous Conceit and Fancie of the Papists who account their abominable Mass a Propitiatory Sacrifice for taking away the Sins of the Quick and oâ— the Dead which as it is most horrid Blasphemy So it is most expresly against this Text for if Christ's Sacrifice for the taking away of Sin be peculiarly applyed to His Humiliation and Death which brought with it such a change as made Hâ—m not to be for a time what He was before Then certainly there can be nothing of that now which can bear that Name there being no other thing to which the properties of a real Sacrifice can agree but this only 3. I said that Christ's Offering up of Himself in a Sacrifice was in His Soul as well as in Hiâ— Body and that He was therein obnoxioâ—s to the Wrath of God That is as He stood Cautioner for the Elect and had the Cup of Wrath â—u in His hand He Suffered not only in His Body but also and Mainly in His Soul which the Jews could not reach and He is here holden out as a Sin-offering in His Soul yea considering that it was the Wrath of God and His Curse due to the Elect that He had to deal with His Soul was more capable to be affected with it then His Body Hence He sayes when no hand of Man touched Him John 12.27 Now is my Soul troubled and what shall I say and Matth. 26.38 and Luk. 22.44 Now is my soul exceeding sorrowful even unto death and being in an agony he prayed c. That which looked like strong Armies mustered and drawn up against Him was not the Souldiers that came to take Him nor the Bodily Death which was quickly to follow but it was the Fathers coming with His awakned Sword to exact of Him the Debt due
have it more abundantly There are two things that we would speak a Word to for clearing of the Doctrine And then make Use of it The 1. is How this can be God's Design in Christ's Humiliation to beget many Sons to Life 2. How Christ's Death Contributs to this Design For the First When we speak of God's Design hâ—re we mean not His last and ultimat Design but His immediat Design in the Gospel which is subservient to that His last and ultimat Design to wit The Glorifâ—ing of His Grace and Justice in giving the Mediator to Satisfie Justice for Dyvour Sinners who are not able to Satisfie for themselves and He having chosen this as the Midst to that highest end we may well say that this is His immediat Design in the Gospel that thereby the Glory of His Grace and Justice might be manifested For the 2d Which is How Christ's Sufferings contribute to this end It may be soon cleared if we consider that there is a twofold Let in the way of Sinners partaking of Life which Christ's Suff rings do remove The 1. Let is a standâ—ng Quarrel betwixt God and the Elect they having Sinned and having nothing to pay their Debt This our Lord Jesus by His Death removes He payes the Debt and tears the Obligation called the hand writing that was against them nailling it to his Cross Col. 2. And in this respect His Death is called a ransome for many And in the Words before He is said to have made his Soul an offering for sin On the same account to wit That the Principal Debâ—or might be set free The 2d Let is Mans utter unfitnesse to walk with God For though the Debt were taken away yet they have no Life But Jesus Christ by His Death hath laid down a ground how a Sinner may be reconciled to God and may partake of Grace here And so be in case to walk with God even while sojourning in the World in some good measure and of the Life of Glory hereafter His Sufferings are not only a Ransome for their Debt but also a Bridge to speak so to step over the Gulf of the distance thâ—t is betwixt God and them unto Glory whither He as the Fore-runner is gone before them In this sense we have our Graces as the Fruits of Chriâ—t's Suffâ—rings the Life of Grace Faith Love Perseverance c. We have also Protection Preservation and Guiding in the way till we be brought through to Eternal Life As that Word is John 6.39 40. cited before That of all whom the Father hath given me I should loss nothing In the First respect Christ is surity for our Debt In the Second respect He is surity for our Duty In the First Respect we are admitted into Covenant with God In the Second we are entertained in it by Him who lives for ever to make Intercession for us Use 1. See here Believers what ye are in the Fathers Debt for sending His Son And what ye are in the Sons Debt for coming to die for you Ye behoved to have born the Curse your selves if He had not born it but He took it on H mself that ye might be Freed from it Thus it stood with you ye deserved to be shut out for ever from God to have the Sword of His Justice awakened against you And he gave his back to the smitters and his cheecks to them that plucked of the haire And was content that the Sword of Justice should awake against Him and smite Him that He might by His strips heal them and by His Death procure Life to them Yea it stood thus with you and it could not be otherwayes The Justice of God being provocked and the Elect being under the Curse as it is Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them Ezek. 18.4 The soul that sins shall die Either they behoved to die or the Cautioner and our Lord was content to be a Sin-offering thereby to set Sinners free To be lifted up on the cross that he might draw all men after him to pay their D bt which all the Creatures could never have payed And therefore we would asâ— you if ye think Heaven and Glory to be of Worth and if ye think it to be a great mercy to be free from the Wrath to come and from the Damned State and Condition of Reprobat Angels and of Reprobat Men and Women in Hell And to be admitteâ— to enter with Abraham Isaac and Jacob into the Kingdome of God and into these Hâ—avenly Mansions Are ye not much in Chrisâ—'s Debt that procured this for you and at such a Rate that thereby Life might be communicate-to you who were Naturally Dead in Trespasses and Sins whatever the rest of the World think of it if any of you be Born again as you ought in a special manner to think much of it so ye will do in some measure for ye are as much in Christ's Common as all that is worth who was content that Poor Sinners should partake of Him and of the Life that is in Him to taste of Hâ—mself and who hath said Because I live ye shall live also In aâ—most wonderful way His Dâ—ath is the Price by which Life is Communicated to Us And it would become Bâ—â—â—â—vers well to be often reckoning what they are in His Debt It 's an of God's great Ends in the Work of Redemption even to have Sinners esteeming highly of and much Ravished with His Grace and with His Love brightly shinning in the way thereof yet less Conscience is made of this then of many other Duties by Believers We will send an Ear to a Practical Point of Doctrine and will some way ayme to mind it If we be bidden pray we will pray if we be commanded to Mortifie Sin we will endeavour it and so in other Duties But who minds this as a Dutie when we are called of God to Admire and Praise His Grace and Love and Humbly to Glory in Him so as seriously to set our selves to fall about it And yet this were a most Native Proper and Kindly Exercise for Believers even like the Work of those who say Salvation to our God that sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb Rev. 7.10 To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood c. Rev. 1.5 To be taken up with such sweet Soliloquies in our selves about this Subject and with such Songs of Praise to Him who hath given us so noble a Beeing and Life which is convoyed to us by His Blood is sure a suitable Use of this Point For if our Life be of much Worth He must be of Infinitly much more Worth in Himself and should be so to us who purchased it at such a Dear Price The 2d Use is to exhort you whom we suppose to be renewed as some of you now hearing me are and O! that all of you were that when ever ye
I could never have expected mercy 2. In the solid Faith of a Believer there is as an Use-making of Christ Crucified allenarly as the meritorious Cause of Justification and Life So he is exercised in this to be allenarly settled on Him as such As for presumptuous Souls as they find it easy to believe so they find it easie to believe and to rest on Him only but as the true Believer hath it for one Piece of Exercise to Him how to win to Christ so it 's a Second Piece of Exercise to Him to get Him rested on only and to get Him as Crucified made the Ground of his Faith As the Apostle insinuates when He sayes 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined to know nothing among you but Christ Jesus and him crucified Where we have three Grounds of Sâ—ving Faith or Knowledge 1. Jesus Christ 2. Him as Crucified and 3. A determining to know no other thing but Him to rest upon for Life and Salvation It 's in this Respect that the Apostle Philip. 3. Doth count all things to be but loss and dung and cast as it were all over board that he may wâ—n Christ and be found in Him Many find it no difficult business to rest on Christ only and to keep out other things from being joyned with Him and never once suspect themselves in this by any thing But the Believer as I just now said hath here an Exercise and Difficulty to get Christ alone rested on so that nothing else be in the least rested on Because he knows nothing else to be a sure Foundation and because he knows that it 's natural to him to rest on other things beside Christ 3. The true Believer is taken up not only to have a sure Ground to build on but also to have his own Gripping at and Building on that Ground made sure It 's his exercise to have it out of question that his Faith is true Faith and not Presumption or Guessing To have the Grace of Faith Actually and Really taking hold of or apprehending Christ Whereas another that presumeth and hath only an Opinion or Conjecture in place of Faith As he is in his own Opinion easily brought to Christ so he finds it easy to exercise believing on Him he will it may be grant that he cannot Sanctifie the Sabbath-day and yet he can believe as if Believing were less difficult then to Sanctifie the Sabbath So many will grant that they cannot Pray and therefore do decline Worshipping of God in their Families who yet will confidently say that they can believe and that they do believe alwayes as if believing were lesse difficult then to Pray for a quarter or half a quarter of an hour But where solid Faith is the exercise of it is a difficult thing and the Person that hath it hath a holy Jealousy of it And the experience of many others and of himself sometime telling him that he may be mistaken he is often trying it and doth not nay he dar not trust much to it and is put often with that Man spoken of Mark 9. To cry and sometimes with tears Lord I believe help my unbelief He dar not trust much to his own Grip and therefore hath recourse to Christ to get it sickered and to have Him taking and keeping the Grip of his Grip as it was with the Apostle Phil. 3.12.4 When Believers have betaken themselves to Christ they have a new Exercise to know that it is so indeed It 's not only an Exercise to them how to Ground their Faith right how to quite all other things and to betake themselves to Christ only and to cast their burden on Him But it 's an exercise to thâ—m to clear that it 's Christ indeed that they rest on or to be clear that they have rested on Him It 's no good token when folk are soon Satiâ—fiâ—d with their Believing and never put it to the Tryâ—l And this is it that mâ—kes many go on guessing till they come to Death which makes a devorce betwixt them and their fancied Faith and discovers it to be but a Delusion Wheras it is Believers Work to try whether they have and to know that they have believed which they win not soon to know and the Reason is because the sense of Sin the apprehension of Wrath and their love to God and to Christ the Mediator with their desire to enjoy Him suffer them not to be quiet till they be sicker We may see all the Four together Philip. 3.7 8 9 10. Where the Apostle speaking of his case when he was a converted Christian in opposition to what it was when he was a Pharisee and thought himself to be very well and a strong Believer sayeth What things were gain to me I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless I count all things to be but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dâ—ng that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness c. The oâ—jâ—ct he would be at is Christ The manner how is Not having mine own righteousness The meâ—n through whâ—ch is Faâ—th in Him This is it that brings him to Union with Him And then he would know experimentalâ—y that he doth know Him savingly as a Believer in Him By finding the power of his resurrection by having fellowship in his sufferings And by being made comformable unto his death Whereby he would prove and make out to his own Quieting and Consolation that he is indeed a Believer The Bâ—liever is never right till he be in Christ and it s his Exercise to be quit rid of all other things and to rest upon him alone neither doth he rest here but he must be clear that he is in Him and that he hath fellowship in His Sufferings and Conformity to His Death This we would recommend to you as your main study as ever ye would comfortab y evidence to your selves your believing in Him SERMON XLVI ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THE Bargain of Redemption is a great Bargain and we may say that it is a good Bargain wherein the greatest things that ever were imagined are transacted The sum whereof is in these two 1. What shall be the Satisfaction that must be given to the infinit Justice of God or what shall be the amends that must be made to God for the Satisfying of His Justice for the Sins of all the Elect and that is compended in these Words The travel of Christs soul That is the condition or these aâ—e the Terms on which only the Lord Jehovah will Tryst to speak so and He will Tryst on no other Terms 2. What shall be the Satisfaction that the Mediator shall have for all His Sufferings and Soul-travel
be necessarily performed and fulfilled 5. See here how the Salvation of Elect Sinners depends on the ingadgement betwixt God and the Mâ—diator Their Redemption depends on Hâ—s paying of the Price and their attaining the benefit of it depends on God's ingadgement to the Mediator Therefore we are said 1 Pet. 1. To be keeped by the power of God through faith unto salvation It serves withall to clear the Soveraignity of God and the Freenesse of His Grace when Sinners cannot pretend to have any hand in the Work to mar the Beauty and Efficacy of Grace that shine therein Use 2. There is here 1. something for the incouragement of such as would fain believe in Christ And 2. Somewhat for Comfort to and for Confirmation of them who have betaken themselves by Faith to Christ 3. It serves withall to incourage them who would be at believing and find difficulty in the way while they are breathing after Him It 's certainly promised that He shall have a seed and shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul such therefore may expect that they shall come speed who would fain be at that which is the fulfilling of Gods ingadgement to the Mediator for it was Transacted in the Covenant of Redemption that His Suffering should be for the good of Elect Sinners and that the Father should make Application of His Purchase made thereby to them I say 2dly It serves to Comfort Incourage and Confirm such as are fled to Christ and find their own difficulty how to win through for they haye a good Cautioner to make out their Faith and what concerns their Salvation Gods Promise to the Mediator shall not be for nought nor in vain but shall have it's accomplishment if poor sinners were leâ—t to their own guiding the bargain should never take effect nor be made out but it may incourage and comfort the poor Believer though it should also humble him that the business is put in another and better hand then his own This hath strengthened the wavering hearts of many Believers before that both sides of the Covenant as to their forth-coming and performance depend on the Father and on the Mediator the Mediator undertaking the payment of their Debt and the Lord Jehovah undertaking to draw them in to the Mediator and by His Power to bear them through till they get all that the Mediator hath Purchased for them conferred on them 2dly Observe That all the benefits and advantages that any have ever gotten or shall get that lead to Life Eternal and which concurr to promove the Work of their Salvation are the Fruits of Christ's Purchâ—se by His Soul travel is a Sinner brought to Bâ—lieve I 's a Fruit of His Suffering iâ— a Siâ—neâ— Glorified It 's the Fruit of the same And therefore when in the one woâ—d it is said He shall see his seed It 's â—aid in the next word He shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul To shew that a Souls ingadging to Christ by Faith wherebâ— the Person becomes one of His Seed flows from His Suffering and is a Fâ—uâ—t of the Travel of His Soul As it is 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God thâ—ough him or in Him Where our righâ—eousness and what conduces to our Juâ—â—ification is derived from His being made Sin or a Sin-offâ—ring for us And Gal. 3.13 It ' said that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come on us gentiles Whatever is comprehended under that Bâ—essing as taking in both the l nd aâ—d Meâ—ns by which we come by it flows from His being a curse for us and from His being brought under sad Suffering and sore Soul-travel for us In this Doctrine ye would consider something for clearing of it or rather take the Doctrine it self several wayes and it will help to clear it elf 1. Then when we speak of the Fruit of Ch ists Sufferings we mean not only tâ—at our Justification the Pardon of ouâ— Sins and our entry into Heâ—ven are Fruâ—ts of it But that our Believing Repenâ—ance Holâ—ness and every thing that leads thereunto are Fruits of it also Therefore it 's promised to Christ Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power And that these that are given to Christ shall come is a Promise â—s well as it 's a Promise that these that come shall be Justified and the one foâ—lows upon Christs Ingaging and performing of the Ingagement as well as the other 2. If we take the Doctrine thus That there is nothing thaâ— a Sinner gets that leads to Life and Salvâ—tion but it 's a Fâ—uit of Christ's Purchase We get neither Repentance nor Faith nor Holiness nor any other such thing but on the account of Christs Satisfaction Or 3dly Take it thus Whatever is needfull for compleating of them that are Châ—ists Seed whom He hath Purchased whatever they want or stand in need of whether Righteousness Holiness Repentance Faith Hâ—pe c. All are purchased by Him and are the Fruits of His Death and Souâ—-travel This riseth clearly from the Words He shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul That is He shall see Sinners believing on Him and repenting for sin as well as Hâ— shaâ—l see them Glorified which will be clear if we consider these two Reasons 1. The nature of the Covenant wherein all the Promises concerning Sinners Salvation are comprehended there being but one Covenant of Redemption and that being a Promise of this Covenant to circumcise the heart to love God and to writ his law in it as well as to pardon Sin and all the Promises of the Covenant depending on Christs Sâ—ipulation and these things in the Promises flowing from the Covenant betwixt God and the Mediator Sinners can have no Right to any thing that is Promised but by a. Covenant neither can they have any access to them but through Christs Suffering 2. It 's clear from the End of the Covenant that whatever Sinners have need of they must be in Christs common for it now if we had Faith or Repentance or any other Grace from our selves or on our own account we should not be in His Debt and Common for all that we need as indeed we are according to that 1 Cor. 30 31. He is made of God unto us wisdom to be our Guide and Teacher righteousness to be our Justifier and the meritorious Cause of it sanctification To be the Worker and the Procurer of it and in a Word compleat Redemption and this is subjoyned as the Reason of all That he that glories or rejoyces may glorie or rejoyce in the Lord that is Whether there be a looking to Faith or Repentance or any other Grace there may be no cause to be Vain or Proud of it but that knowing these to be from Christ and
Ye are all lyable to appearing before God's Justice-seat Ye are all guilty and by the Sentence of the Law under Gods Curse and Condemned already Because God hath said He that sins shall die We are I say all thus by Nature Use 2. It gives a great commendation to the Grace of God in Christ Jesus it makes Grace wonderfully Glorious That takes the Sinner at this niâ—k and in this pinch We shall not dispute here nor is it needfull nor edifying whether God might have forgiven Sin freely without any intervenient Satisfaction to His Justice seing He hath declared His mind concerning that in His Word Exod. 23.7 I will not justifie the wicked And Chap. 34.7 That will by no means clear the guilty And Gen. 3. The day thou eats or Sins thou shalt surely die This is it that puts Man as considered in his Natural Condition to be as it were in Hell while he is on Earth and puts Him in such a near capacity to the Wrath of God if we may so speak and to the actual undergoing of it That there needs no more but the blowing out of the Breath to put him in the pit yea while He is living he is a Prisoner in Chains till the day of Execution come If Grace reprive him not ye would think much of Grace O! how very much if ye were seriously comparing these two together to be so near Hell and yet as it were to have a Ladder set up for you to ascend to Heaven by And that in such a way as by Christ's becoming a Curse They will certainly never think much of the Grace of God and of the Love of Christ they will never think much of their own hazard nor wil they ever in earnest make use of Christs Righteousness who have not some quick and lively impression and sense of this their Condition by Nature And therefore when ever ye go to Read to Hear to Pray to Meditat c. Take up your selves as naturally arrested before the Court of God and obnoxious to His Wrath This would lay your Pride and make Christs offers in the Gospel lovely to you Use 3. This shews That these who get any good of Christ are much in Christs Debt and Common and have in themselves no cause to boast of it If this be true even of the Elect that they are all once under the Sentence of Condemnation else they could not be Justified and Absolved by Christ Ye that think your selves to be something what have ye to boast of Who hath made you to differ and what have ye but what ye have received It sets you well therefore to be humble and to put a Price upon Christ as the Apostle doth on the same consideration Gal. 2.20 When he sayes Who loved me and gave himself for me That makes Him relish sweetly to the Believer And this is the ground of His Triumph Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again c. This way of Justification makes Christs death Wonderous Lovely and it is on this that the Song of the Redeemed is founded Rev. 1.5 Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever amen And of that new Song Revel 5.9 10. 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 c. It is an evil token when folk can talk at a high rate of their hope of being Justified when in the mean time they have so little estimation of Christ and their hearts are so little warmed with love to Him who is so Lovely to Believers And when they can so confidently make application of His Purchase to themselves and yet cannot tell when their heart was ever in the least measure ravished with the consideration of Christs love neither did it ever relish to them nor were their hearts ever in the least ingaged to Him on that consideration Use 4. All of you who are lying in this Natural Condition and know not what is your hazard who are living in your Prophanity or at best in your Hypocrisee Civility Formality not Regenerat or Born again but have still the same Faith and Love that ye were born with and no other what is your posture ye are not in Christ but lying naked obnoxious to the Wrath and Curse of God condemned already And what if your breath go out in this doleful condition What if a Palsie or Appoplexie overtake you suddenly What if a Stone fall upon you ere ye go home out of this place There is even but that much betwixt you and Hell Ye are lyable to be arrested before the Court of Gods Justice and how will it be with you when ye come there And when it shall be said that such a Person hath broken the Law and therefore Gods Curse is due to him and therefore away with him For he judgeth according to mens works Are there none of you afraid of this Do ye believe it to be a Truth O! that ye did who are lying contentedly and secure in your Natural Condition and yet it does not trouble you Will you yet lye still contentedly in this dreadful state Is it possible that ye can be well in this condition though ye would heap up Riches as the Sand ye cannot look into the Bible nor into your own heart but it curses you Ye cannot look to the Bar of Gods Justice but the Sentence meets you Depart from me ye cursed This is the Truth of God And if ye think there be any here lying still in black nature and we are not sure all renewed think then upon your case O! that ye saw your posture The Hand-writting coming forth on the Wall did not so afright Belshazzar as this Curse would afright you if it were believed And 2ly If this be your Natural Condition and if ye believe it to be truly so we would expostulat with you and even wonder 1. How comes it to passe that so many of you lye still in your Natural Condition and endeavour not a change of your State It will be wondered at by Angels and by all the Elect yea and even by the Reprobat that never heard of Christ That so many heard the Gospel and had the offer of Christ and yet did not stir up themselves to make use of Him Is it not a wonder that Folk can sleep secure under the Curse of God And bless themselves till their iniquities be found to be hatefull To be in this condition and to sleep quietly under it will have a dolefull wakning 2dly How is it that so few take pains to try how it is with them If many of you were lying under a Decreet of
done to Him but Heaven to procure by their own merits for they lay down this a ground that Glory in it's full being the proper reward of merit which say they is not founded on God's Promise for that were to merit Congruously only and not Condignally nor is it founded on Christ's merit for that were to reward His merit which to them is absurd though they grant an intrinsick worth to be in both But it 's merit in strict Justice on and by which they expect Heaven and Glory and having Heaven as we say to procure by their own Merit because they cannot thus Merit it especially if Mans Nature be looked on as corrupted they invent two things or forge two divices for that 1. To deny Concupiscence to be Sin And 2. To distinguish betwixt Mortal and Venial Sins and Venial Sins they make to be consistent with Merit in which they take in a world of things as not deadly And if a Man have not Merit enough of his own they have a Treasure of Merits of many Saints who have Satisfied for more than their own Guilt amounted to and have merited more than Heaven to themselves And the Pope being by them supposed to have a right and power to dispense these Merits he gives to them that want a right to such and such a Saints Merits And when all is done they confesse that this way of Justification is not certain that it cannot give Peace that it may be lost and that being lost it cannot be recovered but by a new Grace gotten by the Sacrament of Pennance the very rehearsing of which things may let you see how unlike their Justification is to the Gospel and to the way of Justification that it layes down and what ground of thankfulness ye have to God who hath not only contrived but revealed unto you a more solid and comfortable way of Justification 1. Though their way hath much Pains Labour and Toil in it yet ye see what it amounts to and how much Uncertainty Anxiety and Horror do accompany it neither do they ever attain to Justification before God by it And this is the 2d thing we would speak a Word to even to shew that this way of Justification is inconsistent with the Gospel and that wherein a Soul can neither have solid Peace nor Comfort and we shall speak a little to this 1. In general and then 2. More particularly 1. In general their way of Justification is the very re-establishing of the Covenant of Works For it supposeth that God hath conditioned Life to none but on condition of their Works which in their value are Meritorious It is true they First allow to Christ's Merit this much that He hath thereby procured this Merit to their Works And 2. that He hath procured to them habitual Grace to work these works though as we said before they must dispose themselves for that Grace but that doth not alter the nature of a Covenant of Works seing the terms are still the same For consider Adam before the fall he was to expect Life according to the terms of that Covenant Do this and live and here the terms of the Covenant are the same though their use be different and if the Scriptures so opposes these two That if it be of grace it is no more works and contrarly then sure this way of Justification that puts a Man to the same terms of the Covenant that Adam had to expect Life by must necessarily be inconsistent with the Gospel This will be the more clear if we consider how they themselves illustrat their Meriting by 〈◊〉 Works of the Saints by Adam his Merâ—â—â—ng of Life while he stood the which Meriting flows from an intrinsick worth in the Works themselves without respect to Christ's Merits And if the Covenant of Works hath these same terms then their Justification no doubt must be a Re-establishing of that Covenant 2. The Scripture speaks of our obtaining of our Justification and Righteousnesse alwayes in this sense to wit by Gods imputing the Righteousnesse of Christ to us not only for coming at the first Grace but for attaining Heaven and Glory It 's that which Paul leans to when he comes before God Phil. 3. That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousn ss which is by the Law but the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ He layes by the one and betakes himself to the other as his only defence and that whereon he doth ground his Plea before God Now this being the Scripture way of Justification and their way being quite contrare to it for if they were asked how think ye to answer before God they behoved to say by the merits of our good Works It must needs be inconsistent with the Grace of the Gospel and that which Paul would by no means hazard his peace upon We will find nothing more frequently mentioned in Scripture for the making of our peace with God then Covenanting with God the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and Justification by Faith But all â—hese Three are here in their way of Justification shut out and excluded For they have no such thing as Covenanting they scorn the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse as but a putative and imaginary thing and they cannot endure Justification by Faith But 2dly and more particularly Behold and consider how universally it corrupts and even destroyes the Doctrine of the Gospel 1. It corrupts and destroys the nature of Grace for it hangeth it on mans free will he must dispose himself for it and it gives him liberty to choose or reject it as he pleaseth and it makes tâ—at to flow from man himself that satisfies Gods Justice as if Remission of Sins were not free And in the Second Justification and Admissâ—on to Heaven and Glory It utterly excludes Grace and takes in Merit and makes Heaven the proper rewaâ—d of Mans own Merit 2dly It enervats the Merit of Christ and His Purchase though it seem in words to acknowledge it Because it neither admits of the Merit of Christ as the Satisfaction to Justice by which the punishment is taken away nor to be that by which Life is procuâ—ed but it takes in Works Satisfaction by Pennance Whippings Pilgrimages c. And all that it leaveth to Christs Death is the procuring of a new Covenant of Works and the buying of a Stock of habitual Grace to Man to send for himself but it layes not the removing of the punishment on Christ as our Cautioner in our name satisfying the Justice of God for our Sins but it leaves it on our selves and on our keeping the Covenant of Works as that whereto the Promise is made 3dly It overturns the nature of Gods Covenant for either it makes no Covenant at all or it transforms the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works putting us to expect Life through the Merits of Works For they will have no Promise of Life to be made on condition of Christs Merit
to us in mentioning reading or thinking of it but it should in reason make Sinners glad that ever there was such a subject to be spoken of and to be considered It behoved certainly to be a great businesse that brought the Son of God to die The Salvation of Sinners is a great Work though many of us think but very little of it The Sum and Scop of Christs Sufferings and Death are briefly holden forth in these Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Where we have 1. The great benefit that comes by His Death which is Justification or the Absolving of Sinners from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse of God due to them for Sin by Christ's interposing Himself to become a Sin-suffering there is a way laid down how Sinners may be relieved 2. The parties made partakers of this benefit and they are called many 3. The way how it is derived to these mâ—ny it is by his knowledge That is by or through Faith in Him We have spoken somewhat of the benefit it self Justification which is the thing aimed at for the most part in preaching and in all other Ordinances That God may by the Righteousnesse of His Son in the Gospel carry on the Justification of S nners through their knowledge of Him or by causing them to rest upon His Righteousnesse by Faith in order to their Salvation It 's sad that in this point which is of so great concernment so many should go so far wrong and mistake so grosly that it is no great matter in some respect whether they be called Christians or not This being the advantage of a Christian that He hath a way to Justification and Absolution from Sin and Wrath before God revealed to Him which others have not who if he come short of this or fall in grosse Errors about it he hath little or no advantage beyond Heathens who may have more of the Fat of the Eâ—rth and of the things of the World than these who are within the visible Church have But in this in a special manner the Christian excells and goes beyond the Pagan or Heathen That he hath a way laid down to him how he may come to be reconciled to God and freed from Wrath and from His Curse due for Sin which we have shewed to be by fleeing to Christ and by Faith resting on His Righteousnesse and Satisfaction For Christ the Cautioner having payed the Debt by laying down a Price fully satisfactory to Divine Justice And this Satisfaction being offered in the Gospel upon the condition of receiving him a Sinner giving his consent to Gods offer and closing therewith may confidently expect according to that offer to be Justified and no other wayes We shew you one particular great and grosse Error wherewith these who are under the darkness of Popery are wofully carried away which we did the rather touch upon because though it be a Doctrinal Error in respect of them and disputed for by them Yet in respect of the practice of many Protestant Christians it 's very rise and ordinary that is to Mistake Error and go wrong in the way of making of their peace with God And there are Three Sorts especially who do exceedingly Mistake Err and go wrong here These of whom I mean and am now speaking are not such as are maintaining Disputing or Writing for such Errors but such as commit themselves to be sound Protestant Christians and haters of the grosse Popish Error That we spake somewhat to the last day The 1. Sort are thâ—se who to this hour never laid down any solid Reckoning how to make their Peace with God or what way to come at Absolution before Him these Persons do in practice deny what ever may be their Professions that there is any such thing as a Reckoning to be made betwixt God and them or that there is a necessity of Justification for preventing of their eternal ruine and destruction They live from their birth with a hope of coming to Heaven without looking how they may passe this great step of Justification before God they never saw nor laid to heart their need of it are their not many hearing me to day that are of this number who will needs keep up confidently their fancied hope of Heaven and yet never knew what it was to answer a challenge for Sin or a threatning of the Curse for the breach of Gods Law from Christs Righteousness nor did they ever fist and arraigne themselves before Gods Tribunal as guilty nor did they ever think seriously of their charge nor of their Summonds nor of the way of making their Peace with God by taking hold of Christs Righteousness A 2d Sort are the generality of Legal Professours I do not say that they are Legal in their Practices that is that they make it their business to keep the Law for they are as little concerned or careful in that as any but they are Legal in this respect that when it comes to the making of their peace with God they know nothing but the Law to deal with as that man spoken of Math. 25. That got the one Talent and was utterly careless to improve it yet when it comes to a Reckoning he stands and sticks to a rigor of the Law Master saith he Lo here thou hast that which is thine just so such will be ready to say we have no more Grace then God hath given us we have a good heart to God we are doing what we dow or can Here come in Prophane Men meer Civil Men and Hypocrites and more especally the meer Civil Men who do much in the duties of the Second Table of the Law and they will profess that they do mind Judgement and a Reckoning but as if they had been bred and brought up in a Popish School they foist in a Legal Righteousnesse in stead of Christ's as the ground of their Justification before the Tribunal of God ye may take in these instances of this sort of Persons which are very common and who in their Practice almost in every thing agree with the Popish Doctrine The 1. Instance is of such Persons that know nothing of the imputation of Christ's Righteousnesse yet if we speak of it they will fall out in such expressions as these we can do nothing of our selves there is no goodness in us It 's God's grace that must do our turn yet in the mean time it is not Christs Righteousness they lay down to themselves as the ground of their Justification but the good which they have done as they suppose in Christs strength and the Grace which is given them to work and do that good by which is the same thing with the Popish way of Justification as if Christ had procured an ability to us to keep the Law our selves in order to our being Justified thereby hence they will Beliâ—ve Pray Hear the Word Praise and go about other Duties and will professe that they acknowledge
Christ in these and that they have the Grace from Him to preform them He furnishes the Stock and they Trade with it and so for the attaining of Life they are obliged to their own Trading which is in Words to pretended Grace but really to put our own Works and Righteousnesse in the Room of Christ's Righteousnesse as the ground or meritorious cause of Justification for the Grace given to us enabling us to Work is not Christ's Righteousness but our own because given to us and working in us and so it is alwayes our selves and our own Righteousnesse not Christ and His Righteousnesse that we rest upon A 2d Instance of some Folk that speak of Christ and of attaining Life through Him yet it is not in respect of His Merit but in respect of His Strength for such will say we hope through Christs Strength to come to Heaven their meaning wherein is that He will help them so to repent and believe so to be holy and resist tentations as they shall come to Heaven thereby as the deserving cause of their coming thither It 's true there is something right here when in it's own place if whole Christ were rested upon Justification being put in the first place and His Merit rested upon for that it were good that His strength were leaned to and made use of for performing the duties of Sanctification but when His Strength is rested upon as the alone thing and when we look not to Christs Purchase and Merit as the ground of our acceptation but to Christ as enabling us to do Duties to the end that we may give God a recompence thereby at the best it is but He and we together this certainly is wrong for nothing is proposed as a Satisfaction to Gods Justice here but what is immediately our own A 3d. Sort are somewhat wiser who it may be think that any thing that is in themselves is not worth the naming but partly through Christs Merit and partly through what they have and can do themselves or by these joyned together they hope to be saved This was the Doctrinal Error of the Galatians who attributed Justification to Christ and to the Works of the Law joyntly This way ascribs to Christs Righteousnesse this much that it makes our own Righteousnesse to be accepted as the ground of our Justification before God which in some respect is worse then the Covenant of Works for the Covenant of Works sought a perfect Righteousnesse but this way offers an imperfect Righteousnesse and to mend and to eke out our imperfect Righteousness it takes in the Righteousnesse of Christ but there is no such Covenant or way of Justification in Scripture for God made but two Covenants for men to attain Life by one of Works which is now impossible The other of Grace by which only it is possible to attain Justification and Life This makes a third Covenant or Contrivance by a mixture party of some Works in us and partly of some Grace in Christ to make up what is inlaking in our Works and yet this way is very pleasing to our nature and that to which we are much inclined for Justification for men are naturally disposed to think that they give Christ enough when they allow His Righteousness to make up what is defective in their own It 's true indeed that Christs Merits do wash our Duties but our Duties come never up to be the ground of our Justification in whole oâ— in part which is evident from this that ere Christ make our Duties or Performances acceptable He makes our Persons first to be accepted and that once being then any thing performed by us in Christ's strength according to the will of God is acceptable also But now we proceed further in the Words of the Text and before we come to the causes of our Justification we shall briefly Observe two or three things that lye obviously in our way The 1. whereof is this That the Absolving of a Sinner through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse is the proper and native result of Christs Purchase and the great intendment of it His Sufferings and Soul-travel were undergone to procure Justification to many So that if we would know what is the Fruit of Christs Soul-travel here it is By his knowledge shall many be justified Therefore Rom. 5.9 It 's attributed to his Blood Being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath and 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God through him That which I mean is this That Christs intendment in His dying was to redeem and really and actually to procure Absolution and Justification before the Throne of God to so many as should believe on Him Or we may take the Doctrine these two wayes which yet come both to the same account 1. Thus that the things which Christ intended in Hâ—s Death was not a meer possibility that Sinners might be Justified nor to lay down a conditional way of their Justification whereby â—hâ—y might come or not come to it and so to make it possible buâ— that which He intended was that their Juâ—â—ification might follow absolutly I do not mean instantly and without the interveening of a condition For here His knowledge comes in as the condition but that which I mean is that He diâ—d that their Justification might actually and certainly follow as a fruit of His Purchase In a word His Death and Sufferings were not to make Juâ—â—ification possible to all but that so many as He bargained for might be absolutely Justified or that many that is all the Elect might be actually Justified because He shaâ—l bear their iniquities therefore by His knowledge they shall be Justified We Observe it for these Ends or Uses 1. To give an answer to that question What is the native result of Christs Death to His People we say it is their absolute and actual Justification These that would extend the Grace of God and the Death of Christ so broad and wide as to leave out none say in effect that the design thereof was to lay down such a way as makes it possible to all to be Justified and yet such a way as makes it possible that none at all shall be justified for it hirgs justification on the free will of the creature so in striving to make Grace broader then God allows they come to make it none at all by leaving it on mans freewill whether it shall be effectual or not But blessed be God the Covenant of God was not on these terms for it is said here That by his knowledge he shall justifie many 2. It gives us these two practical Uses 1. It shews what should be our intendment in our Use-making of Christs Death and that is that we may be Justified and Absolved by it even to make use of it for attaining to Pardon of Sin and Peace with God If this be over-looked and neglected all
other Fruits of it were uselesse it will avail but little to be a Member of the visible Church to be Baptized and to be admitted to the Lords Supper to have Litural knowledge of the principles of Religion to have a Gift of Preaching or of Prayer c. these will not Justifie The peculiar thing aimed at in Christs Death and that which His People aim at and have to rejoyce in is Justification through his knowledge which is alwayes to be understood without prejudice to the study of Holinesse 2. It gives us this Use whoever would have Absolution before God would know that this was the very thing ingaged for to Christ and His intendment in His Death That Sinners believing on Him might be Absolutely and Actually Justified by Him it was not simply to propose Justification to them but that Absolutely they might be Absolved from the Curse of God due to them for Sin And now may I not ask whether this is more encouraging to Sinners to have Christ procuring Justification only conditionally to them or to have the thing absolutely conferred upon them This is a ground whereupon believing Sinners lift up their heads confidently and expect Justification through His Righteousnesse It is this that was promised to Christ and it is this that is the native fruit of His Death without which it will be fruitlesse And this may remove the great obstruction that readily a Sinner when he is serious seeth lying in his way to wit the want of Righteousnesse and the fear of not being Absolved the want of inherent Righteousnesse in himself which makes him lyable to the Curse of the Law when he seeth upon what terms Christ died First To procure a Righteousnesse to them that wanted Righteousnesse And 2. Upon these terms that Sinners through faith in Him might he Justified and fred from the Guilt of Sin as if they never had Sin themselves Considering this to be his intendment according to the terms of the Covenant of Grace what have they or what can they have to skar or fright them from expecting the fulfilling of this Promise Because the contryvance of the Covenant of Redemption is to buy Justification absolutely and not the possibility of it only nor to buy Grace to us whereby to Justifie our selves but Juâ—â—ification it self so as we may be beholden to Him alone for it Again 2dly When we say that the Justification of a Sinner is the proper result of Christ's Death it may be thus understood That the Righteousnesse whereby a Sinner is Justified is immediatly Christ's Death and Purchase as to the meritorious cause thereof to that if we look to what Justifies a Sinner as to the meritorious cause of it the knitting of these two together He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied and By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many doth hold it forth to be Christ's Death and Purchase The travel of His Soul is and must be the ground on which a lost Sinner is Justified before the Throne of God This both confirms what we formerly proposed concerning this Doctrine and also shews that the Justification of a Sinner is not by inherent Holinesse whence comes it I pray that makes a Sinner acceptable before God It is not from habitual nor actual inherent Grace but from Christs Righteousness laid hold on by Faith that grippeth and adhereth to it But from the latter part of the Words we will have more particular occasion to speak to this where these two are knit together By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquity therefore we do now passe it The Object of this benefit is many many ordinarily in Scripture implyes these two things 1. A great number and so it shews the extent of the Object that is that Christ shall purchase and redeem many or by His Death procure Justification to many 2. A restriction and thus many is opposed to all and so the meaning is There shall many be Justified by Christ's Death but not all and therefore as none can from these Words plead for an universality in Justification So neither can they in Redemption for he only bare their iniquities whom by His knowledge He Justifies Looking on these many in these twofold considerations we may take these Observations from it 1. Taking it extensively Observe 1. That the Righteousnesse of Christ is of it self able to Justifie many It 's a Righteousnesse that can Satisfie for the Sins of many or thus That in the Covenant of Redemption there is an intended Application of Christ's Righteousness and Purchase to many 2. That there are many who shall indeed partake of Christ's Righteousnesse and be Justified by it It 's not one or two or a thousand but as it was intended to Justifie many so it shall be actually applyed to many for their Justification 3. Comparing the former Words He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied with these Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Observe That Christ is not satisfied for the Travel of His Soul except many be Justified Or thus It is Christ's Satisfaction how many there be that make use of Him and that by making use of Him come to be justified by Him as afterward we will see These many are all these that believe all these that have this true and saving knowledge of Him and do rightly acknowledge Him The making out of one of these Doctrines will make them all out That Christ's Righteousnesse is able to Justifie many that many shall be Justified by it and that it is His Sâ—tisfaction and Delight that many be Justified and get this good of it It 's said Matth. 20.28 That he came to lay down his life a ransome for many And Rom. 5.15 That the gift of grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many and v. 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shalâ— many be made righteous Let but these Four things be put together and considered and it will be found that there is no just ground to quarrel these Doctrines 1. The native worth and intrinsick value that is in the Satisfaction of Christ It 's the blood of God of the Person that is God It 's an Offering that flows from a willing and cheerful Giver which makes it the more acceptable He was content with delight to pay the Price there cannot be a limiting or bounding of this Worth and Value because there cannot be any bounding or limiting of the Person that gives the Value to it if it be considered in it self 2. Consider the freeness of the Offer which takes in many Our Lord communicats very freely what He hath bought very dear and it 's done with respect to His taking in of many to take away all exceptions from the poor and needy and from them that want money 3. As the terms are
it's weight on a Sinner when he becomes sensible of Sin Psal 38.4 My iniquities sayes David are gone over my head as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me It 's true Sins are not alwayes weighty to Folks sense yet in themselves they are weighty and sometime they will be found to be so by the Sinner So Psal 40.12 innumerable evils sayes the Psamist have compast me about my iniqâ—ities have taken hâ—ld of me so that I am not able to look up th y are moe then the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me In a word if the wrath of God and His curse be heavy Sin must be heavy Is not that heavy which damned and drowned the old World and will burn and bury in ashes this World that now is standing Is not that heavy that hath brought on so many weighty curses on the Creatures and subjected them to vanity Is not that heavy that brings by it's weight so many thousands and millions to Hell and that made our blessed Lord to cry yet without all sinful anxiety My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and my soul is heavy to the death And is it not that which makes the Lord say that He is pressed with his professing peoples Sins as a cart is pressed with sheaves all the indignation and opposition of the men of this World is nothing to Him in comparison of the Sins of His people He can break through briers and thornes and consume them together But the iniquities of His people are said to presse Him to shew the abominable loathsomnesse and weightinesse of them Use 1. It may make us wonder that men and women think so little of Sin There are many that will tush at a challenge or threatning for Sin but let me say it that mountains of Leid yea though all this World were turned into one Mass or Lump of Leid it should not be so heavy as Sin should be to you your Drunkenness Filthiness Covetousness Lying the vaging of the mind in privat Duties of worship throughout the Week and in publick Duties on the Lords Day your neglect of Prayer in Secret mocking at Piety c. shall however light now one day be found to be weighty when as it is Revel 6.6 Ye shall cry to the hills and mountains to fall upon you and hide you from the wrath of the Lamb A mountain would be thought light in that day but the Face and Wrath of the Lamb shall be terrible Therefore either give up with Sin and study Holinesse or make you for this dreadful postour that ye would wish to have a hill or a mountain tumbling on you and yet shal not get that wish granted what mean ye O! Atheists and desperatly secure pleasers of your selves with your idols that ye dare thus to ly and live under this burden Will ye be able to come before the Throne of God with it upon your back It 's a truth that Sin is such a burden as will sink you to the pit if ye seek not in Gods way to shake it off in time 2dly If it be such a burden make this twofold Use of it 1. Beware of keeping still upon you the burden of bygone Sins but take with them seek to be suitably affected with them betake your selves with all speed to Christ and cast your selves and your burden on Him It 's for this reason that Faith is called a leaning on Christ because when the burden of Sin is like to break the Sinners back Faith casts himself and his burden over on Christ 2. For the time to come study holinesse and take on no more of this burden alwayes remembring that when ye take on the Debt of the least Sin or seek to hood-wink as it were the conscience and to put out the eyes of it that ye may Sin the more securely and with the greater liberty ye are all the while but hightning your burden and making the weight of it the more intollerable and is that wisdom think ye to be taking on a burden of that which will presse crush sink and drown you eternally under its grievous and insupportable weight 3dly Observe That for as heavy a burden as Sin is Christ stooped down and took it on His blessed back John 1.29 Behold the lamb of God that taketh away or beareth and by bearing taketh away the sins of the world 1 Pet. 2.24 He him own self bear our sins in his body on the tree So the just suffered for the unjust Heb. 9. ult He was once offered to bear the sins of many Whether it was the same very burden that the Elect should have born or the equivalent of it we will not now Debate having spoken somewhat more particularly to it before either of them being according to the terms of the Covenant of Redemption and accepted of the principal Creditor yet it would seem that He did bear the curse in the essentials of it and in that respect came under the same burden He died because it was threatned The day thou eats thou shalt surely die and the soul that sins shall die and He died a cursed death because a cursed death was threatned as it is Gal. 3.10 compared with 13. And so come under the curse Here is love indeed and a true friends kind turn that when Sin was such a heavy burden Christ came in betwixt the Elect and it and took it on Himself and stood at the Bar of God as chargeable with our Debt which was really charged on Him as it is Isa 50.6 He gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair he bide not his face from shame and spiting all these buffetings of prophane souldiers were but little to that weight of wrath that was laid on Him to the making of Him groan to that cup which in the Garden He drank out and which made Him sweat Blood and cry our My soul is exceeding sorrowful and heavy even unto death And Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me yet not my will but thine be done O! what a weight was it that made Him so cry out There needs no more to prove that He bare our Sins and that there was an exacting of Him what we were owing and that His Sufferings are indeed a Satisfaction to Justice for them even for the Sins of all the Elect. The Uses are two 1. It serves to hold out and confirm this truth That our Lord Jesus His Sufferings were a real Satisfaction to Justice for the Sins of the Elect and that by His Sufferings He was indeed put to bear their iniquities and that they were not only nor mainly for example though we may well make that use of them but He was made lyable for our Debt we Sinned and He suffered and Satisfied for our Sin we debauched our our Stock and played the bankrupts He payed our Debt 2. It serves hudgly to commend to us the Love of God
Christ hath born their iniquities that Faith is a saving Grace and a Fruit of Christs Death that such as believe may conclude their Justification and that Christ will make out the benefits of His purchase to them what want Believers that may be for their comfort Whereas if we should lay it for a ground that Christ died for all what comfort were in that For all are not Justified and Saved but only Believers yea by the Doctrine of universal Redemption though ye were even new Believers ye could not conclude that ye should be saved because ye might fall from it again But our Doctrine of Justification hath solid consolation For Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes And Rom. 3.12 It 's unto all and upon all that believe And it makes the Believer sure of his perseverance for it 's an expresse Article of the Covenant We shall only say this That ye will find that all that in Doctrine or Practice make the way to Heaven wydest they make it most unsicker and unsure and they are in great confusion and indeed it 's impossible it can be otherwayes For if men go once out of Gods way which is the strait and narrow way they can never be sicker and solidly sure because there is no solid ground of confidence in it The 2. Use serves to answer a Question that some out of curiosity pussel themselves with which if well soberly and wisely followed would be do curiosity and it is this How shall I know if Christ died for me Answer make it sure that ye believe and then ye shall be sure of the benefits of His Death For if He hath born the iniquities of these that believe and if there be no way to make it sure that He hath born our iniquities but by believing it is a needlesse stir and noise that is made about the knowledge of Election and of Christs intention in His Death for though we would say that He died for all it would not comfort except we said also that all go to Heaven But are ye burdened with Sin and have ye by Faith fled unto Christ and do ye actually rest upon Him Then ye may on that ground conclude your interest in Christ's Death and from that ascend to Election That which makes many Believers to be in hesitation as to this is their never throughing and making it clear to themselves whether they have believed and therefore if ye would see your Election and Interest in Christs Death put the matter of your believing to a point For it 's the door whereby ye win in to other secrets of God such as Election is and there is no other way to win to it Therefore these two are knit together John 6.39 40. This is the will of him that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing And if it should be asked How shall I know who are given to Christ to be redeemed by Him The next verse answers This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day would ye then know who are given and redeemed They are Believers I mean of such as are come to Age for none will make the question concerning Infants And therefore if ye would know the way of the coming to Knowledge of your Justification Redemption and Election of God begin at the lowest step of believing and make that sicker and all the rest will follow of will but if ye misken and overlook this and will go up to the top of the ladder per saltum and at the first it will be just with God that ye never win at the Knowledge of these secrets which were in His heart before the World was Use 3. It 's matter of Consolation to the Believer who may as certainly conclude an interest in Christ's Death as if he had heard the Transaction of Redemption read over and had seen his name in the Book of Life For our Lord saith John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life If thou be a Believer thy name is there Christ hath born thy iniquities and what Consolation is that to them who are clear anent their Faith But alace it sayes there is much Rotten Unsound and Slippery Faith among us and also much Faith that is but little lively that there is so little solid comfort following it Use 4. It serves to demonstrat the nec ssity of believing the advantages of it and the necessity of our indeavouring to be clear that we do believe If these two go together Justification and Believing then there is a necessity of Believing and if these two go together clearness about our Believing and the Knowledge that Christ did bear our iniquities then there is in some respect a necessity that we know we believe otherwayes we can have little or no comfort in Christs bearing of our iniquities and of our being given to Christ to be redeemed by Him From these two the advantages of Believing may appear Therefore to make all sure Justification Christs bearing of your iniquities and â—our being given to Christ make it sure that ye are in the Faith and this way give all diâ—igence to make your Calling and Eâ—ection sure And the Lord Himself prevail with you to do so SERMON LXIII ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressâ—urs and he bâ—re the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressours THere hath been a compendious Sum of the Covenant of Redemption delivered by the Prophet in this Câ—apter wherein what is required as the Price for Elect Sinners from the Mediator is ho d n forth on the one side in a l ge descâ—iption of Hâ—s Suffâ—rings and â—â—at is pâ—oposed as the Fruit that should follow and as the Satisfaction that the Mediator should have for His Sufferings is on the other side also laid down as that He should see his seed and prolong his dayes and that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand That he should see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied and that by his knowledge many should be justifiâ—d In this verse we have a summary re-capitulation and repetitâ—on of this mutual bargain only it is proposed in a difâ—erent method For before what was reqâ—ired and undertaken by the Mediator was first set down and then the Promises made to Him were next set down Here the method is altered and the Promises made to the Mediator are first set down and the conditions required of Him last set down it 's like to shew the onenesse of the Covenant and
thing that the only begotten Son of God should be loved on this account accepted and glorified in this Work even because He poured out his soul unto death out of zeal to His Fathers Glory in prosecuting the Work of Sinners Redemption 4. And he made intercession for the transgressours Which points out His making application of His Death and the benefit thereof to the many whose Sins He bare He died to take their Sins away and interceeds to have His purchase made effectual For though this be applyed usually to His Prayer on the Cross yet that is but one particular of His intercession which is of larger extent and therefore it 's noted as a condition required of the Mediator that He must not only die but also intercâ—ed that the benefits of His death might be made forthcoming for them for whom He died Thus ye see we have the sum of Gods Covenant here as if the Lord were proposing to the Mediator Now Son if thou wilt pour out thy Soul unto death and thereby bear the Sins of my Elect People and make intercession for them thou shalt losse nothing by it thou shalt have a notable Victory and Triumph and a great Spoil In the Words before The Mediator having accepted the Terms of the Covenant and performed them though not actually at that time but in the Purpose and Decree of God which now are actually performed therefore the Promises are turned over in a concluded Covenant and in an absolute Right to Him What needs further explication we shal endeavour to reach it as we speak to the Observations and because the Words for the most part yeeld the same Doctrines that have been spoken to before we shall not insist in them 1. Then from the repitition Observe in general That the nature and terms of the Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and the Mediator is a profitable Doctrine and useful to be understood and believed by the People of God Therefore it is so clearly proposed and again and again repeated and laid before their eyes and summed and repeated in this verse to keep them in mind of it These that know the Covenant of Redemption as that which hath in it the sum of all the Foundations of our Faith and the ground of our access to God and of our peace with Him they will easily grant that that it 's very necessary to be studied known and believed For First by it we know what we may expect from God because what we are to expect is promised to Christ in this Covenant as to our head This portion with the great and this dividing of the spoil with the strong He hath it as our head 2. Because we know by this Covenant how we come by these things promised And that is by pouring out of his soul into death bearing of our sins and interceeding for us Which supposes and includes our betaking of our selves unto Him by Faith 3. Because by this Covenant the rich and free Grace of God hath it's due Glory For there is nothing considered here as the reason of setting captives free but Christs paying of the Price it comes freely to us as a gift bestowed 2dly And more particularly Observe That though our Lord Jesus Christ in the Work of Sinners Redemption had a sore Combat and Fight yet He hath a glorious Out-gate Triumph and Victory It was the greatest fairest and most serious onset and assault that ever was heard of that our Lord Jesus encountered with As the remembrance and consideration of what hath been spoken of His being in an agony and sweating drops of blood of his praying that if it were possible that cap might depart from him Of His crying my God my God why hast thou forsaken me c. Will most convincingly make out the Justice of God pursuing Him for all the guilt of the Elect Principalities and Powers being in His tops The Devil the Prince of this World having all His Instruments yocked and at Work some to nod the head some to mock and scourge Him c Yet He did abide it all out He gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that pulled of the hair and hid not his face from shame and spitting And had a most glorious Victory and Triumph over all what we said in exponing of the Words clears it somewhat and that Word John 12.31 Now is the judgment of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out to point out His Victory over the World and the Devil and that Word Col. 2.14 15. He spoiled principalities and powers He uncloathed them and left not as we use to speak a whole rag on them He by a strong hand pulled all the Elect from them and left none of them in their possession He brake open the prison doors and set them all at liberty This was indeed a great Victory He hath also a great spoil of many Captives and great Glory being exalted in our nature At the right hand of majesty on high having a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee might bow and that passage Ephes 1.20 21. Is to the same purpose He hath put all things under his feet c. If we look to Reason it cannot be otherwayes 1. If we consider what our Lord Jesus was in His Person being the Son of God He cannot but be glorious John 17.5 He proves Father glorifie me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Though by being Man He became of no reputation and a vail was drawn over the declarative Glory of the God-head in His Person for a time yet He remained still the Son of God and Glorious in Himself and it cannot be but He that is God must be Glorious in His Exâ—ltation when that vail that obscured His Glory is taken away 2. His Office as Mediator and head of the Elect proves it He that waâ— appointed head ovâ—r all things to the Church could not but be great and glorious and therefore when that of Psal 16.10 Is cited by the Apostle Act. 2.24 and 13.35 It 's said That it was impossible that death could keep him 3. It will be clear if we consider the Work it self wherewith He was intrusted it being a Work that was so well liked of and approven by God He could not but have a Glorious Victory and Out-gate Therefore sayes He John 10. My Father loveth me because I lay down my life for my sheep and Philip. 2.8 It 's said Because he humbled himself and became obedient unto death therefore God hath highly exalted him It was the contract betwixt God and the Mediator that He should first become low and then to be exâ—lted and therefore He behoved to be exalted and made very Glorious Use 1. Learn not to underâ—â—lue nor to vail and obscure the Glory of 〈◊〉 Mediator from the consideration of His Sufferings for though He was low yet He is now exalted He had a most
so much of the saving of sinners and therefore they wonder not at it are not suitably affected and taken up with it Use 2. There is here a sweet and solid ground for quieting and setling the Faith of sensible Sinners who would have footing to their Faith Christ counts it His Glory and Triumph to save such as ye are and if ye perish that would fain be at Christ and His Righteousnesse for Life Christ shall want His Glory and Triumph and may not that serve and satisfie you that your Salvation is His Glory and Triumph which He will not come short of The Father hath here promised it and He shall not He cannot want it Sinners He must have and shall have to be saved because His Victory Triumph and Spoil depends on it A wonderful condescension of Grace which is not easily believed that all these are linked and coupled together and through other as it were Sinners Salvation Christs Victory Triumph and Spoil and Gods Glory in His Grace Love Faithfulnesse and Power ye reflect no doubt on Gods Faithfulnesse who suspect and are jealous of your Salvation if indeed ye do by Faith betake your selves to Jesus Christ Use 3. Doth Christ think so much of the Salvation of Sinners that He counts it His Victory and Triumph His Portion and Spoil Then 1. All that give not Christ their Souls to be saved do what they can to lessen Christs Portion and to frustrat Him of His Glory 2. If ye would do Christ service that is most acceptable to Him give Him your Souls to be saved by Him frustrat not His Grace lay your Sins on Him and look for Salvation through Him in His own way He came to fight with Principalities and Powers and to vanquish them and by the strong hand to rescue Souls from them and step ye to at His back for that is His Satisfaction His Portion and Spoil We wote well there is here a strong and effectual motive to perswade to Faith in Christ and a stronger and more effectual cannot be thought upon It will be Christs Triumph to pull you out of the claws of the Devil and if He do it not ye on the matter allow the Devil some way to get the victory over Christ which is yet impossible but the Devil will certainly have Victory over you to whom ye will be Slaves and Druges for ever There is also here ground of great terrour and of dreadful warning to such as yeelds not to Christ because they do what they can to impede His Victory when He comes by His ordinances to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God they thwart with Him The day is coming when this Doctrine will be comfortable to some and terrible to others when there shall be none of us but we shall see it confirmed with our eyes when He as a man sorting and sharing His Spoil after the Victory shall say to these on His right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you and to others Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Even as if a Conquerour should take some Prisoners and make them Sons and Heirs and set them upon Thrones and should cast others into perpetual Prison who loved not liberty And indeed it will be a fearful Prison who loved not liberty And indeed it will be a fearful Prison to be in Hell with the Devil and His Angels either we will be part of Christs Portion and Spoil in that day or He will refuse disown and reject us leaving us to be an everlasting prey to the Devil happy they whom He choiseth and woe to them eternally whom He casts as refuse wair God give us wisdom to lay these things to heart SERMON LXIV ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressours and he bare the sin of many and he made intercession for the transgressours THis Covenant of Redemption is a great bargain there was never such parties as the Lord Jehovah and the Mediator and we may say there was never such Conditions and Articles in any bargain as are in this The verse now read doth contain the sum of that which was agreed upon betwixt these Parties The promises upon Jehovahs side made to the Mediator and what He shall have on His accepting of the offer and performing of the Condition required of Him And what are the terms proposed to the Mediator and the Conditions which He is to perform or rather hath performed 1. There are two things promised to the Mediator I will divide him a portion with the great a fair and large Victory and a good and glorious Out-gate And He shal divide the spoil with the strong As these that are Conquerours and Victors use to share most largely and deeply in the Spoil so our Lord Jesus shall have a rich Spoil a large booty many redeemed Souls a Bride whom He shall present blamelesse to the Father These are the Spoil the Jewels that He fights for and the Prey He choiseth when the World is burnt and the rest are sent to hell He gathers out so many for Himself 2. The Conditions on the Mediators side are four He comes to this Victory and Triumph because He hath poured out His soul unto death because He was numbred with transgressours because He bare the sins of many and because He made intercession for the transgressours Therefore shall He be sure of all this Although there be no expresse name of a Covenant here yet ye see the thing because as in Covenants amongst men there are two parties and their ingagements are mutual and the performance of these ingagements in the one depends on the performance of them in the other So is it here 1. The Parties are Jehovah and the Mediator 2. There are two things promised to the Mediator a glorious Victory and a rich Spoil the justifying of many 3. The Conditions on the Mediators side on which the performance of the promises depends He condescends to die and to die willingly to be numbred with transgressours to bear their Sins and to make intercession for them This Jehovah condescends to accept of and upon this many to wit all Elect Sinners are justified through faith on him as it is v. 11. 1. From the promise made to Christ where the Person is changed I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong I will grant Him such a thing and He shall obtain it Take this general Observation as the reason of it That all the Promises made by Jehovah to the Mediator are certain and shall actually be performed I will grant this to Him and He shall get it The connexion doth also confirm it Because he hath poured
the Mediators performing according to His undertaking as well as there is faithfulnesse in Gods performing whatever He hath spoken of Him or promised to Him Ye shall only take two or three testimonies for this The 1. is Matth. 3.14 and 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased He undertook to satisfie for the Elects Debt and hath accordingly performed it so that the Father is well pleased A 2d is John 17.4 Where He appeareth before the Father and useth it for an argument for His Glorifying him with the same glory he had with the father before the world was I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do I have gotten a task and piece of Work committed to me and now it 's performed And that other Word which He hath on the Cross is remarkable to this purpose It 's finished Now the task and work is ended and I have no more to do but presently to passe to the Victory and to the dividing of the Spoil And a 3d. Testimony is our Lord Jesus His ascension to Heaven and the glory that He will appear in at the day of Judgement when His Kingdom shall be consummat That shall be a proof and testimony that He left nothing undone that was given Him to do that He bare the Sins of many that He gave His back to the smiters and His cheeks to them that pulled of the hair and that He satisfied justice freely and ascended to Heaven as it is 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the mystery of Godliness saith the Apostle God was manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit fully absolved as having performed all whatsoever He undertook Seen of Angels and raised up unto glory Use This is also though a general yet a very comfortable Doctrine to the People of God in as far as from it they may know that there is no more to be payed to the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect It hath gotten full Satisfaction The Cautioner hath payed all their Debt and is now exercing His Offices for applying to them His purchase making intercession for them overseeing them proving a Tutor to them guiding them and all that concerns them and His Church even doing all things well managing the affairs of His Fathers house as a Son and He cannot but guide all well Other sheep saith He I have which are not of this fold them I must bring in and they shall hear my voice and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish A most pregnant ground of comfort to the Believer that his eternal well-being cannot but be sure and sicker because it hath the Father and the Mediator their faithfulnesse ingaged for it If Jehovah perform the Promises made to the Mediator and if the Mediator perform His ingagement to Jehovah and raise up Believers at the last day then it must follow that their Salvation is sure This is the main ground on which Believers peace is founded and here we may allude to that Heb. 6. He hath sworn by two immutable things wherein it is impossible for God to lie that the heirs of promise who are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them may have strong consolation even so here There are two immutable things to wit Gods promise to the Mediator and God will and must keep His Word to Him and the Mediators ingagement to God and He will and must keep His Word to Him And indeed we have good proof of both already For it was this ingagement that made the Father send the Son of His Love out of His bosome to be incarnat and to undergo the work of Elect Sinners Redemption and it was this ingagement that made the Mediator die of whom the Father exacted the Price till He declared Himself Satisfied and well pleased Now when these things that seemed most difficult are accomplished what can fail 1. Then there is here ground to fix our Faith upon and indeed there is need to fix it rightly The ground that our Salvation and Perseverance in the Faith is founded on is not our continuing to Pray to Believe and to Love God but this ingagement betwixt the Father and the Son and it is the cause procuring the other as an necessary and infallibly certain effect It 's mainly on this that believers shuld rest quiet and confident 2. It should make Believers humble and cheerful seeing though they be weak in themselves yet here they have a grip and hold for every hand as it were Jehovah's Word and the Mediators Word for their through bearing 3. It should much commend believing and the state of a Believer who have such ground of assurance The greatest Monarch on earth hath not such ground of assurance for his Dinner or Supper as the poor Believer hath for eternal Life For the Word spoken by Jehovah to the Mediator and the undertaking of the Mediator to Jehovah cannot fail and the Believer hath that to rest upon as the ground of his assurance More particularly The Articles on the Mediators side are as I said in these Four exprâ—ssions He hath poured out his soul unto death He was numbred with the transgressours he bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressours 1. He must die expressed in these Words He poured out his soul unto death Which implyes Three things 1. That it is an Article of the Covenant of Redemption and of the Mediators undertaking that he should die for Sinners And so it is a needlesse curious and unwarrantable dispute whether fallen man might have been redeemed any other way or whether a drop of His blood was not enough to redeem man because we see here it is Determined and Articled in the Covenant of Redemption that He should die Jehovah will have the Mediator dying And be possible what may to Gods Soveraignity which we would not make to clash with His Justice nor His Just ce with His Soveraignity this may bound and limit us that it 's concluded in this Covenant of Redemption that the Mediator shall lay down His Life and it being concluded It 's certain 1. That God hath given man a Law threatning him that if he should break that Law he should die 2. That all Mankind and so the Elect have broken that Law and so are lyable to the Threatning and Curse 3. That the Mediator became Cautioner and undertook to satisfie for the Elects Debt it was necessary that He should die because He undertook to pay their Debt and to satisfie for their Sin which was death by the Law to them and so the Justice of God is vindicat He cannot be called unjust nor partial nor unholy though He do not actually punish every Sinner that hath Sinned in his own Person because Gods holinesse and Justice appears conspicuously that He would rather execute what was due to the Elect on His own Son then that their Sins should go unpunished
And considering the nature of the Mediators death that it was a violent and cursed death that which had extream anguish and sorrow going before and alongst with it It shews that the Lord hath purposly taken that way to make it known how bitter a thing Sin is how terrible a thing His Wrath is and how holily severe His Law is and to let all know that it is a dreadful thing to come in topes with Him who did so put His own Son to it Use 1. This Doctrine though it hath been spoken to before is a soveraign Doctrine yea the Soveraign Doctrine and the corner stone of all Religion That Christ hath died for the Sins of His People It gives us accesse to preach the Gospel which is therefore called the preaching of Christ crucified know therefore and believe that the Mediator died and that it behoved Him to die For it was required as a condition of the Covenant of Redemption to be performed by Him to which He yeelded and consented O! what love is here to article such a thiâ—g before Sinners had any Being It was more then to be hungry and thirsty and weary He behoved to die and to be made a curse when Sacrifices and burnt Offerings will not do He sayes Lo I come in the volumne of the book it 's written of me I delight to do will O! my God I hearitily accept of the bargain Use 2. It speaks an sadly alarming Word to all you who are secure Athiests and care not for the Wrath of God O! what will become of you when the Wrath of God and you shall meet If Sin brought the Cautioner to death O! what Wrath shal ye come under when ye shall be put to reckon for your own Sins The smitting of the Sheperd was more then if all the Sheep had been smitten and though now ye think little of Sin yet the day comes wherein ye shall know to your cost that it is an evil and bitter thing to depart from God and that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Use 3. See here the necessity of making use of Christs Death either ye must do it or die and come under the Curse of God your selves there is not a midse If ye have Sin how will it be gotten put by and satisfied for not by your Prayers let be by a laughter or smile nor by your living of an honest life as ye call it Christ had infinitly more of this then any of you and yet He got not Sin so put by we may here allude to that Eccles 8.8 There is no discharge in tbat war neither shall wickedness deliver these that are given to it Death when it hath a commission and Gods Terrour backing it O! how will it handle the secure stubborn Sinner when the hand of God shall pursue him eternally Alace what are many doing that never fear the Wrath of God that suspend put of and delay the closing of their accompts and all endeavours to die to Sin and to live to Righteousnesse and either passe over their dayes as Athiests or as formal Hypocrites and such are some of you that hear me this day who never seek to be found in Christ nor to improve His death to the mortifying of Sin What will ye do in the day when ye shall be called to a reckoning ye will curse the day that ever ye heard the Gospel and that this was concluded that Christ should die it will be the savour of death to you through all eternity and will be the most Soul-searching and tormenting Word that ever ye heard and ye will wish that the Work of Redemption had never been heard of nor resolved upon Use 4. It 's a comfortable and encourraging Word to sensible Sinners such betaking themselves to Christ may be sure to get good of Him for He hath payed the Price already and hath given His Word for it That such as believe in him shall never perish but that he will raise them up at the last day Ye would not think that it will be displeasing or dissatisfying to the Father or to the Son that ye come to Him and take hold of Him for it was for that end that God sent Him and that He laid down His Life and died but He dies no more It will be no trouble to Him but satisfaction to His Soul for all the travel of it to make application of His purchase to you And seing it will not displease but be most acceptable to Him that ye believe on Him and be saved by Him and since not believing rubes shame in a manner upon Him why do ye not betake your selves unto Him by Faith for His satisfaction and your own Salvation 2dly He not only died but it 's said He poured out his soul unto death which implyes two things 1. The intensness of it it was an uncouth and strange Death not only was His Body afflicted but His Soul was poured out 2. It looks to His good will readiness and cheerfulnesse in dying Father as if He had said must I die and wilt thou have my Soul sorrowful and heavy I am content to be so thou shalt have my Life He comes not prigging to die to speak so but casts down His blessed Life at His Fathers feet and plentifully gives it out to the uttermost so that He will not as it were leave one drop of His Blood but will needs pour and yett it out in aboundance even all of it Hence Observe That our blessed Lord Jesus was most hearty in laying down His Life for Sinners was most cheerful in undertaking and most willing and cheerful in executing what He did undertake He makes not two Words of the bargain to speak so but when Sacrifice and Offering will not do it as it is Psal 40. Then sayes He Lo I come in the volumne of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God There is no standing nor disputing here on the Mediators side but a present willing and heartsome undertaking Therefore Prov. 8. He sayes Though he was continually with the father even from everlasting yet his delights were with the sons of men rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth Ere ever the World was made ere there was a Sinner in beeing to be redeemed He rejoyced before hand thinking there would be such an opportunity to manifest His good will grace and mercy And if we look through the Gospel how often will we find this made good No man taketh my life from me but saith He I lay it down of my self and I take it up again and when they came to take Him and Peter drew his sword he said Could not I command twelve legions of Angels but all that is written of me must be fulfilled I have bargained to lay down my Life and it must be and I have a baptisme to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished and
that their Souls are in and that they look at peace with God as an easie business But one day it wil be found to be a great matter to be at peace with Him that Sin is bitter and Wrath heavy and that to be in good terms with God is better then a thousand Worlds God Himself make you wise to think seriously on it in time SERMON LXV ISAIAH LIII XII Vers 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressours and he bare the sins of many and he made intercession for the transgressours THere was never bargain so seriously entered in as this betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator never bargain was of such concernment and weight It is therefore no marvel it be insisted upon The Prophet hath been holding forth the terms and conditions of it on both sides and now he sums them up in this last Verse that the businesse may be left cleâ—r and distinct setting forth what the Lord Jehovah ingageth for to the Mediator and what the Mediator ingageth for to Jehovah only with this difference that in the former part of the Chapter the Mediators ingagment is first set down and then what are the Promises that the Lord Jehovah made to him But in this Verse where the Covenant is resumed what the Lord ingageth for to the Mediator is first set down and then what the Mediator is to perform in the last place To shew as I said the mutualnesse of the Covenant of Redemption and that it is but one bargain one link whereof can never be loosed on either side In the last part of the Verse what the Mediator is to perform is set down in Four Expressions as past and done because of the certainty efficacy of the Mediators Sufferings and of His performing what He undertook and of divine Justice It 's acceptation thereof The 1. is because He hath poured out his soul unto death It was proposed to the Mediator to die which he undertook and in the execution goes cheâ—rfully about it He poured out his soul unto death without any prigging grace and love to speak so with reverence were so liberal and prodigal of the Life of our Lord Jesus for the Salvation of lost Sinners That His blessed Soul was separat from his Body and he made obnoxious to the Curse which most willingly he underwent his Life or Soul was poured out unto death The 2d is He was numbred with the transgressours which implyes Three things 1. It suppons that he was indeed no transgressour there was no guile found in His mouth yet he behoved to stoop so low as to be reckoned among or numbred with transgressours as the former expression holds out the painfulnesse of his Death So this holds out the ignominie of it he not only died and behoved to die but he was looked on as a despicable person even so despicable that Barrabas a thief and robber was preferred unto him and of this we spake from verse 3. He was dispised and rejected of men 2. It implyes mens ingratitude that when our blessed Lord came to redeem them they did not count him worthy to live but looked on him as a transgressour This was also fulfilled in the History of the Gospel as John 18.30 They say unto Pilat If he were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him unto thee 3. It implyes the low condescendence and depth of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath no bottom he will not only die but die a shamful and cursed Death and take on reproach and ignominy with the Debt of Sinners when they are dispysing him The Cautioner must not only die but die a shamful death some deaths are creditable and honourable and men will with a sort of vanity affect them but it behoved not to be so with our Lord Jesus when he entered himself Sinners Cautioner he must not only die but be despicable in his death as it is Chap. 50.5 He gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair he hid not his face from shame and spitting because it was so articled and agreed upon when he was reviled he reviled not again O! what condescending-love shins forth here in the Mediator It was much to pay the Debt and die but more in his dying to be counted the transgressour much to be Cautioner but more to be counted the dyvour As if some wicked and perverse Officer ceazing on the Cautioner should not only arrest him for the Debt and exact it of him but account and call him the dyvour Debtor yet he bears all patiently It would learn us to bear reproach for him he bare much more for us then we can bear for him he was railed on and reviled bufferted and spitted on they in derision said unto him Hail king of the Jews they mocked him nodded the head at him hanged him up betwixt two thieves as the most eminent malefactor of the three and Mark saith Chap. 15.28 That this scripture was fulfilled which saith and he was numbred with the transgressours God had appointed it and the Mediator had condescended to it and therefore it behoved so to be We spake to the matter of this before and will not now insist on it any further The 3d. is He bare the sins of many which is also causal as the former are It 's put in here 1. To shew the end of his dying and the nature of his death His death was a cursed death but not for his own Sin but for the Sins of others even to pay the Debt that was owing by his Elect the many here are the same many spoken of in the former verse who by his knowledge are justified It 's not the Sins of all that Christ bare but the Sins of many and the many whose Sins he bares are the many that are justified and all who are justified their Sins he bare and of no moe So that as many as have their Sins born by Christ are justified and whoever are justified had their Sins born by him 2. It shews also how the Sins of these many are taken away It was by Christs bearing the punishment due for their Sins this it that which we spake to from verse 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all In a word it 's this The Mediator articleth and agreeth to take on the guilt of the Sins of the Elect though not their Sins themselves formally considered he took the deserving or burden of their Debt Of this we have also spoken before and will not therefore insist any more particularly on it The 4th and last Article or part of the condition required of the Mediator is He made intercession for the transgressours There was more required of him then to die and to die such a death for the Elect's Sins He must
nature of Christs Intercession and how we may make use of it And how particularly we should beware of a carnal mistake in many about his Intercession as if he were praying in heaven as a distinct partie from God It 's true he is a distinct Person of the glorious Trinity but not a distinct Partie in interceeding as some ignorantly conceive of him and therefore think him easier to have access to then the Father and therefore will pray him to pray the Father for them as if when they prayed to him they were not praying to the Father or as if there were not on object of Worship This flows from ignorance of the nature of Christs Intercession and â—s unbecoming a Christian for supposing â— man to rest by Faith on Christ the Father is content and well pleased to pardon him as well as the Son is because he is ingaged in the Covenant of Redemption so to do and if he be not a Believer neither the Father nor the Son will respect him our use making of Christs Intercession doth consist rather in the founding of our hope of speeding with God on it as on his Satisfaction then inputing up words of prayer to him to interceed for us as if he were to pray in heaven as â—e did on earth or as one man interceeds for another The point is sublimly spiritual and some way tickle and I indeed fear to enter on moe Uses at least for the time only remember that he is an Intercessour And learn to make right use of him as an Intercessour And the Lord himself make the benefit of his Intercession forthcoming to us SERMON LXVI ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. And he made intercession for the transgressours IF Christ were known in the greatness and vast extent of his worth O! how lovely would he be How incomprehensibly full are his Offices of grounds of consolation to his people But the mean and low thoughts we have of him and the poor consolation we feed on do evidence much ignorance of him and much unbelief of the solid worth and fulnesse that is in him and in his Priestly Office in particular and yet O! how full of consolation is it Such a high Priest became us Heb. 7.26 Even such a High Priest â—s Sinners had need of There hath been much spoken of one part of his Priest-hood to wit his Sacrifice and offering up of himself in the former verses of this Chapter Now ere the Prophet close he gives a hint of the other part of his Priestly Office to wit of his Intercession a main commendation of Christs fulnesse It 's that which evidenceth him to be a Saviour able to save to the uttermost such as come â—nto God through him because he lives for ever to make intercession for them as it is Heb. 5.25 And it 's a piece of the consolation of Gods People that Jesus Christ hath this Office by the Fathers allowance and that it is Articled in the Covenant of Redemption betwixt the Father and him That as he shall pour out his soul unto death be numbred with transgressours bear the sins of many So he shall make intercession for the transgressours Therefore Heb. 7.21 He is said to be made an high Priest with an oath by him that said unto him Psal 110.4 The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melhisedeck He was a Priest on earth by offering himself in a Sacrifice and by interceeding for Elect Sinners and he is a Priest in heaven by his Intercession and therefore is preferred to all the Priests on earth Who did not continue by reason of death but he continues for ever and none can start him wrong to speak so with reverence of him We shew in our entring on this verse that this his intercession is not to be a stricted to his prayer on the Cross that was but an evidence or particular instance of it but it takâ—s in his whole Intercession Because the Scope of the Prophet here is to hold out as what God promised to him on the one hand in the Covenant of Redemption so on the other what he interceeds for and so his Intercession looked on in the Covenant of Redemption takes in his whole Intercession especially as it is gone about in heaven by vertue of his Sacrifice once for all offered up when he was on earth We Observed the last day That according to the Covenant of Redemption our Lord Jesus Christ behoved not only to die but to be an Intercessour or that it belongs to our Lords Priestly Office agreed upon in the Covenant of Redemption not only to offer up himself in a Sacrifice and to die but to make intercession for his people He made intercession for the transgressours or as all the rest may be read in the future time so this He shall make intercession for the transgressours but for the certainty of the thing it 's set down in the preterit or by-past time The Father did take his word and so it past as done in the Court of Heaven We cleared this point and proposed Four Uses of it The First whereof was to inform uâ— anent Christs fulnesse to discover his insearchable riches and to let us see what an excellent high Priest we have that continues an Intercessour Not only hath he once for all offered up his Sacrifice as the high Priest under the Law did once a year but hath entered within the vail to interceed and thereby to make the benefits of his purchase effectual and forthcoming to them for whom his Sacrifiâ—e was offered Even as Levit. 16. where the rules for the high Priests offering are given after he had offered the Sacrifice he took the blood and entered within the vail and by the Sacrifice and his going in to pray he made atonement for the People typically answerable to this our Lord Jesus by his once offering hath perfected for ever these who are sanctified and by his going within the vail he executes this part of his Priestly Office in interceeding for transgressors In prosecuting this Use we answered some Questions which now we shall not insist to repeat Only there is a short Question or two that further may be asked which wil clear the former ere we go to the next Use And the 1. is if our Lord before he came in the flesh discharged this part of his priestly Office The reason of the question or doubt is because in the new Testament his intercession is alwayes at least very ordinary subjoyned to his Ascension The 2d is How his Intercession now difers from his Intercession before his Incarnation or in what respects the consolation of Believers that flows from his intercession is stronger now then the consolation of Believerâ— flowing there from was before he was Incarnat As for the First It cannot be denyed but Christ was Intercessour since he had a Church in the World for it 's a part of his priestly Office and
The word is very significant he is able to save perfectly to perfection and to perfection at the hight of perfection and what more would ye be at He can save from corruption and put without the reach of it He can save from wrath that it shall not come near you He can save from all the effects of sin and wrath He shall not leave a tear on the cheek of any of his own ere all be done and that is the ground of it For he lives for ever to make intercession for us If any should say he may save from one sin but not from another or he may bring me a piece of the way to heaven and then leave me there It 's folly sayes the Apostle to think to For he is able to save to the uttermost because he lives for ever to make intercession Although his death seem to be transient once for all perfyted yet that cannot mar the application of the benefits purchased by it For he is Intercessour and he that procured thy entring in the way will carry the on in it he that procured a saâ—tified conviction to come in will through it hâ— that procured thy justification and pardon of sin will also apply it to thy conscience and bring forth an intimation of it when he thinks fit and sanctifie thee throughly and this is indeed great consolation to a sinner that he who hath begun the work will perfyt it and he will not leave it till it be at such a hight of perfection as it can be desired to be no higher 4. The extent of this consolation is such that it reacheth to all times There it is not a Believer in any place or case that is wrestling with any difficulty that can come wrong to Christ He is ever in readinesse to be employed There is never an hour nor moment that he hath his door shu He died once but now lives for ever to die no more and he lives for ever to make Intercession he is entred into immortality to make effectual what he hath undertaken in favours of his people He is always at the Bar and when his own are but little imploying him he is minding their affairs night and day watching over them every moment See Luke 22. where the Lord sayeth Peter satan hath sought to winnow you but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Satan gave in a Bill against Peter when he had no mind of it but the Lord repelled it The greatest cheat or the most subtile adversary that steals out Decreets cannot circumveen him He is still waiting on at the Ear that nothing come in against his people to their prejudice and if it do come in it's that he may crushit in the first motion O! how doth the consolation of Believers stream out here He will not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard on high a bruised reed will he not break and the smoaking flax will be not quench untill he bring forth judgement unto truth He will not contend nor say man or woman how is this that thou hast put thy self in the myre and would have me to take thee out of it that thou brings a broken Plea to me and seeks of me to right it He will not ask whether ye have money all his imployment is free nor will he put you back till the morrow nor bid you wait on till another time morning and evening and at midnight he is ready and when the Elect Sinner hath little thought He is watching over his need preventing many tentations keeping from many ill turns casting many challenges over the Bar that the Devil and the Law put in Therefore study his Offices more and this among the rest we much wrong him in not studying of them and acquainting our selves with them that we may feed upon them himself open up his name to us and to him be praise SERMON LXVII ISAIAH LIII XII Vers 12. And made intercession for the transgressours O! That Sinners were seriously considering how much they are obliged to Christ He hath in the former words Poured out his soul unto death for Sinners and was wounded for transgressours and yet that was not all though Sin was our Lords death he hath not casten out with Sinners but having gotten the Victory over all enemies and sitten down at the right hand of God He makes intercession and to make it the more full It 's said He makes intercession for transgressours All his Offices have an eye to Sin and Sinners and this part of his Office among others We began to speak of an Use of comfort that flows from this and truly if any Doctrine be comfortable this is That Sinners have an Advocat with the Father what would Sinners do when their peace is broken there is a door shut betwixt God and them and his back is turned on them and the Concisence is wakened and they cannot think on God but it's troublesome to them if they had not a friend in Court with whom the Father cannot but be well pleased This Consolation being a main part of the use of this Doctrine and the ground of Believers boldnesse with God In the following of it forth we proposed Five things to be spoken to 1. To shew the largeness and extent of the consolation that flows from this ground and of this we spake 2. The particular advantages that the Scripture attributs to Christ's Intercession and the consolation that is in them 3. The particular times when especially Believers are called to make use of this consolation 4. Some grounds warranding them to make use of it and 5. Some caveats or advertisements to them that would warrantably comfort themselves from it To proceed now and to speak to these last Four things 1. The particular advantages that the Scriptures attribut to Christs Intercession and if we look through them we will find that there is nothing that may be useful to a Believer either as to a particular or publick mercy but it 's knit to Christs Intercession 1. For privat mercies 1. Look to the beginning and growth of our spiritual life and to the pouring out of the spirit It is made the fruit of Christs Intercession John 14.16 I will pray the father and he shall send the comforter and John 16. If I go not away the comforter will not come This is the Consolation of a Believer labouring under deadnesse of spirit barrennesse and unfruitfulness That the pouring out of the spirit is a remedy of that and the pouring out of the Spirit is a fruit of Christs Intercession It 's this that procures the first conviction of the spirit to an elect lying in nature It 's this that continues there convictions and procures the spirits quickning of them John 16.8 If it should then be asked how a person lying in black nature gets any good It 's answered that it 's Christs Intercession that does the turn 2. Iâ—'s fâ—om Christs Intercâ—ssion thaâ—
being in themselves blind may come to Him for light being poor may come to Him for Gold to inrich them being â—â—ked may come to Him for garments to cloath them being ungodly may come to Him that He may Justifie them But alace People are for the most part sensless and regardless of their Sin and misery and therefore He gets no imployment from them Many sit very brave and fine here and have no Legal Bar on them to keep them from the Communion who yet have sleepy and sensless Souls and are ruining and destroying themselves This we assure you is the condition of many of you who never knew to make use of Christ and of His Righteousness and yet will boast of your Faith and of your good heart to God Away with your old presumptuous Faith take with your unbelief and presumption Say not ignorantly that ye shall do as ye can though ye cannot do as ye would ye are unsound at the heart mistaken about your spiritual state and know that the Devil by a deceitful heart is speaking out of you such language For it's enemies we are Commissioned to reconcile and it 's lost Sinners that Christ came to seek and save and ye see not your selves to be such and therefore ye care not for such offers of Grace But ah many of you if Grace prevent not will get a cold welcome from Christ at that Day and will be made sadly to smart for the slighting of many Precious Opportunities which God did put in your hand and whereof to make use ye had no heart SERMON LI. ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. THere hath been much spoken from this sweet Scripture of Our Lord Jesus His Sufferings and somewhat also of the Promises made to Him that His Sufferings should not be for nought in these Words we have a compendiouâ— explication of the Effects that â—â—ow from them by which He shall be Satisfied for them all which ye may take up in these Four 1. The great benefit it selâ— that is holden out here and that is Justification 2. These to whom it shall come it is many so that His having a Seed spoken of v. 10. Is exponed here by this that many shall be justified 3. The way how this is derived to them by his knowledge which we shew is to be understood of Faith in Him 4. The ground from which this flows and on which it is built and that confirms it For he shall bear their iniquities And as it 's in the following v. He bare the sin of many And therefore they must be Justified it being but reason that these many whose iniquities He bears and whose Debt of Sin He payes should be Justified We may speak more particularly to the Explication of each of these as we come to them we shall then first expone and give the meaning of this Word Justification or to Justifie ere we come to the Doctrine because it will serve to clear it and will make way for it and so much the rather as it is the very hing of the Gospel and that on which our Salvation depends though yet but very little and very ill understood there being many that cannot tell what it is though there be not many Words more frequently mentioned in the Scripture and though it be that whereby a Person is translated from the State of Enmitie into the State of Friendship with God As for this Word To Justifie or Justification then there are three senses given of it Two whereof are Erronious and the last only is according to the mind of the Spirit of God speaking in the Scripture which we shall Clear and Confirm 1. Some take this Word Physically as if it were to make Just by the infusing of habitual Grace or by a Physical and Reall Change and so taken it is the same with that which we call Sanctification but in all the Scripture we know not one Place where necessarily the Word is so to be understood Although this acceptation of the Word is the great rise of the Popish Error in that Controversie concerning Justification 2dly Others take it for Gods Revealing Manifesting or Declaring the way how a Guilty Person comes to be Just and so to Justifie is for Ministers to teach the way to People how they may live holily As it is said Dan. 12.3 They that turn many to Righteousness c. By whâ—ch sense some Wickedly and Blasphemously detract from Christs Satisfaction as if His Justifying were no more but a teaching of Sinners the way how to be Juâ—â—â—fied to wit by living holily and justly But the Word that follows in the Text For he shall bear their iâ—iquities Cuâ—s the Throat of that Exposition for it is by Christs bearing of the punishment of the Elects Iniquities and for paying of their Debt that they come to be Justified Therefore the one is given for a Reason of the other 3dly Considering the Word according to the meaning of it in Scripture we take it for a Legal forensick or Court Word borrowed from mens Courts wherein a Person arraigned for such a Cryme is either Condemned or Absolved And when he is Absolved and Declared to be acquitted or made free from that which is laid to his Charge he is said to be Justified so is it before God and in His Court Justification is the freeing of a Sinner from the Charge that the Law giveth in against Him and the absolving and declaring of him to be free from the Guilt of Sin and from the punishment thereof which by the Sentence of the Law is due to Him The former two senses run to the making of a man to be inherently holy or without a Fault Which is as if a Guilty Man or a Criminal being sifted before a civil Court of Judicature were declared to be Innocent But this true meaning of the Word sets out a Man arraigned before Gods Tribunal and charged with Guilt and found Faulty but Absolved and Acquitted not because he wants Sin but because his Debt is payed and his Sins Satisfied for by a Cautioner Even as a Man that is called before a Civil Court for such a Sum of Money and is found lyable to the Debt but his Cautioner coming in and paying the Debt for him there is both in Reason and in Law just ground why that Man should be absolved and declared free of the Debt So is it here Christ Jesus taking on and satisfying for the Debt of the Elect and procuring Absoluâ—ion for them for whom He payed the Price there is Reason and ground in Law that they should be Justified and Absolved All these Opinions agree in these two 1. That Men naturally have Sin and that they must compt for it 2. That this Jusâ—ification whatever it be where it is doth fully Absolve and Acquit the Sinner and makes him free of Sin as to the Guilt the Punishment and Consequents of it Death and the
Curse as if he had never had Sin But the difference lyeth here that this last acception of the Word absolves a Man though he have Sin in himself by the interposing of a Surety and Cautioner who payes his Dâ—bt and procures the Sentence of Absolution to him And in this Sense Justification is as if a Man were standing at the Bar of Gods Tribunal Guilty and having a witness of his Guilt in himself and God out of Respect to the Mediator His Satisfaction and Payment of His Debt which He hath laid hold upon by Faith does pronunce that sinfull Person to be Free Absolved and Acquitted from the Guilt and Punishment of Sin and doth accordingly Absolve him upon that accompt So then Justification is not to be considered as Gods Creating and Infusing of gracious habits in us but the declaring of us to be Free and Acquitted from the Guilt of Sin upon the account of Christs Satisfying for our Debt This we will find to be very clear if we consider how the Word is taken both in the Old and new Testament as namely Isaiah 5.23 Woe unto them that justifie the wicked for a reward and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him And Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. Where the plain meaning of the Word can be no other then this that when a Judge pronounces a man to be Just although he be unjust it is a wicked thing which the Lord abhores And so Psal 51.4 That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest That is that thou might be declared to be so And Matth. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her children 2. We will find this meaning of the Word to be clear if we consider Justification as distinguished from Sanctification For in that Popish sense they are both made one and the same but they are distinguished in Scripture As 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified Where he looks on these two Benefits of Justification and Sanctification as distiâ—ct and distinguisheth the one of them from the other now Sanctification being the Grace that renews our nature and makes an inward spiritual change Justification must needs be that Act of Gods Grace that takes away the Guilt of Sin and makes Sinners to be friends with God through Christs Righteousness and so is a relative change of their State 3. It will be clear if we consider to what it is opposed in Scripture it is not opposed to sinning as Sanctification is but to these two 1. To the charging of a Sinner with somewhat unto Condemnation And 2. To the Act of Condemning now the opposit to Condemnation is Absolution as is clear Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifies who shall condemn c. Gods Justifying is put in as opposit to the Charging and Lybelling of the Elect and to the Condemning of them therefore none of these can be and so Justification there looks both to the part of an Advocat pleading and declaring a man to be Free and to the part of a Judge pronouncing him to be Absolved and Justified which well agrees to Our Lord Jesus who Justifies His People both wayes 4. It may also be cleared from parallel Scriptures where Justifying is called Reconciling As 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us c. And how that comes to pass is told in the last v. For he made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him So that to be made the Righteousness of God is to be Justified and to be Justified is to be made friends with or to be reconciled to God and that not by working a moral Change but upon the account of Christ's Satisfact on bringing us into friendship with God So Eph. 1.6 Where to be Justified is exponed to be made accepted in the Beloved And what else is that but to be in good terms with God to have him passing by all quarrels as having nothing to say against us but accepting us through Christ as Righteous So Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could be justified by the law of Moses A place that clearly holds forth that as all the Elect are naturally chargable by the Law as being Guilty of the breach thereof and that they cannot be absolved from it by ought in themselves so they are through Faith in Jesus Christ freed from it As if the Lord had said ye are fred from the Sentence of the Law because through Christ is preached unto you Remission of Sins and there is away laid down for your Absolution who believe from the Guilt of Sin and from all the consequents of it 5ly It 's clear from the Text because it 's such a Justifying as hath in it Christs being Sentenced in our Room as the cause of it now He was Sentenced in our Room not by having Sin infused in Him which were Blasphemous to think but by having our Sin imputed to Him and therefore our Justification must be our Absolution by having His Righteousnesse imputed to us As is clear throughout this Chapter Therefore it s said He hath carried our sorrows and born our griefs He was wounded for our transgressions He was bruised for our iniquities by his strips we are healed He laid on him the inquitie of us all And in these words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities It 's a Justification that comes to us by Christ's taking on our Debt And this we cannot imagine to be otherwayes but by a Legal Change or by a Change of Law-rooms He coming as Surety in our Room and we having Absolution by vertue of His Satisfaction So that the meaning of the Words in short is As if the Prophet had said would ye know what we have by Christ's Sufferings Even this to wit That many as many as whose iniquities He bore and satisfied for shall be Acquitted and Absolved from the Guilt and Punishment of their Sin through His Satisfaction They shall be fred from the Sentence and Curse of the Law which they deserved And shall be declared Righteous through the Righteousnesse of their Cautioner which they have laid hold upon by Faith Hence Observe 1. That all Men and Women even all the Elect themselves are by nature lyable to an arraignment before the Justice-seat of God That they are Justified supposes a bringing of them as it were before His Tribunal ere they can be Justified and have the Sentence of Absolution past in their favours The Apostle takes this for granted