times I might turn you to many other Scriptures but in the mouth of twenty Witnesses you may be very clearly and fully satisfied that Jesus Christ is the Saints Beloved 1. When the Dutch Martyr was askt whether he did not love his Wife and Children he Answered Were all the World a lump of gold and in my hand to dispose of I would give it to live with my Wife and Children in a Prison but Christ is dearer to me than all 2. Saith Jerom If my Father should stand before me and if my Mother should hang upon me and my Brethren should press about me I would break through my Brethren throw down my Mother and tread under-foot my Father that I might cleave the faster and closer unto Jesus Christ 3. That Blessed Virgin in Basil being condemned for Christianity to the fire and having her Estate and Life offered her if she would worship Idols cryed out Let money perish and life vanish Christ is better than all 4. Love made Hierom to say O! my Saviour didst thou dye for love of me a love more dolorous than death but to me a death more lovely than love it self I cannot live love thee and be longer from thee 5. Henry Voes said If I had ten heads they should all off for Christ 6. John Ardley Martyr said If every hair of my head were a man they should all suffer for the Faith of Christ 7. Ignatius said Let fire racks pullies yea all the torments of Hell come on me so I may win Christ 8. George Carpenter being asked whether he loved not his Wife and Children when they all wept before them Answered My Wife and Children are dearer to me than all Bavaria yet for the love of Christ I know them not 9. O Lord Jesus said Bernard I love thee more than all my Goods and I love thee more than all my Friends yea I love thee more than my very self 10. Austin saith he would willingly go through Hell to Christ 11. Another saith He had rather be in his Chimney-Corner with Christ than in Heaven without him 12. Another crys out I had rather have one Christ than a thousand Worlds by all which 't is most evident that Jesus Christ is the Saints best Beloved and not this or that sin Now by these 13 Arguments 't is most clear that no gracious Christian do's or can indulge himself in any Trade course or way of sin Yea by these thirteen Arguments 't is most evident that no Godly man has or can have any one beloved sin any one bosom darling sin though many worthy Ministers both in their Preaching and Writings make a great noise about the Saints beloved sins about their bosom darling sins I readily grant that all Unregenerate persons have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins but that no such sins are chargable upon the Regenerate is sufficiently demonstrated by the thirteen Arguments last cited And O! that this were wisely and seriously considered of both by Ministers and Christians there is no known sin that a Godly man is not troubled at and that he would not be rid of There is as much difference between sin in a Regenerate person and in an Unregenerate person as there is between poyson in a Man and poyson in a Serpent Poyson in a mans body is most offensive and burdensome and he readily uses all Arts and Antidotes to expel it and get rid but poyson in a Serpent is in its natural place and is most pleasing and delightful So sin in a Regenerate man is most offensive and burdensome and he readily uses all holy means and Antidotes to expel it and to get rid of it But sin in an Unregenerate man is most pleasing and delightful it being in its natural place A Godly man still enters his protest against sin a gracious Soul while he commits sin hates the sin he commits O Sirs there is a vast difference between a special and a beloved sin a darling sin a bosom-sin Noah had a sin and Lot had a sin and Jacob had a sin and Job had a sin and David had a sin which was his special sin but neither of these had any sin which was their beloved sin their bosom sin their darling sin that passage in Job 31. 33. is observable If I covered my Transgression as Adam by hiding mine Iniquity in my Bosom Mark in this Text while Job calleth some sin or other his Iniquity he denyeth that he had any beloved sin for saith he Did I hâ—de it in my Bosom did I shew it any favour did I cherrish it or nourish it or keep it warm in my Bosom O! No I did not A Godly man may have many sins yet he hath not one beloved sin one bosom sin one darling sin he may have some particular sin to which the Unregenerate part of his will may strongly incline and to which his unmortified affections may run out with violence too yet he hath no sin he bears any good will to or doth really or cordially effect Mark that may be called a mans particular way of sinning which yet we cannot we may not call his beloved sin his bosom sin his darling sin for it may be his greatest grief and torment and may cost him more sorrow and tears than all the rest of his sins it may be a Tyrant usurping power over him when it is not the delight and pleasure of his Soul A Godly man may be more prone to fall into some one sin rather than another it may be Passion or Pride or Slavish fear or Worldliness or Hypocrisie or this or that or tother Vanity yet are not these his beloved sins his bosom sins his darling sins for these aâ—e the Enemies he hates and abhors these are the grand-Enemies that he prays against and complains of and mourns over these are the potent Rebels that his Soul crys out most against and by which his Soul suffers the greatest violence Mark no sin but Christ is the dearly beloved of a Christians Soul Christ and not this sin or that is the chiefest of ten thousand to a gracious Soul and yet some particular corruption or other may more frequently worst a Believer and lead him Captive but then the Believer crys out most against that particular sin O! saith he this is mine Iniquity this is the Saul the Pharoah that is always a pursuing after the blood of my Soul Lord let this Saul fall by the Sword of thy Spirit let this Pharoah be drown'd in the Red Sea of thy Sons blood O! Sirs It is a point of very great importance for gracious Souls to understand the vast difference that there is between a beloved sin and this or that particular sin violently Tyrannizing over them for this is most certain whosoever giveth up himself freely willingly cheerfully habitually to the service of any one particular Lust or Sin he is in the state of Nature under wrath and in the way to eternal Ruine Now
a little to shew the vanity folly and falshood of that Opinion that is received and commonly avowed by Ministers and Christians viz. That every Godly person hath his beloved sin his bosom sin his darling sin seriously and frequently consider with me of these following particulars First That this Opinion is not bottomed or founded upon any clear Scripture or Scriptures either in the Old or New Testament Secondly This Opinion that is now under consideration runs counter cross to all those thirteen Arguments but now alledged and to all those scores of plain Scriptures by which those Arguments are confirmed Thirdly This Opinion that is now under consideration has a great tendancy to harden and strong then wicked men in their sins for when they shall hear and read that the Saints the dearly beloved of God have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins what inferences will they not be ready to make What are these they call Saints wherein are they better than us have we our beloved sins so have they Have we our bosom sins so have they have we our darling sins so have they They have their beloved sins and yet are beloved of God and why not we why not we Saints have their beloved sins and yet God is kind to them and why then not to us why not to us also Saints have their beloved sins and yet God will save them and why then should we believe that God will damn us Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins and therefore certainly they are not to be so dearly loved and highly prized and greatly honoured as Ministers would make us believe Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins and therefore what Iniquity is it to account and call them Hypocrites Deceivers Dissemblers that pretend they have a great deal of love to God and love to Christ and love to his Word and love to his ways and yet for all this they have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins Surely these mens hearts are not right with God with much more to the same purpose Fourthly If Christ be really the Saints beloved then sin is not their beloved but Christ is the Saints beloved as I have formerly clearly proved and therefore sin is not there beloved A man may as well serve two Masters as have two Beloveds viz. a Beloved-Christ and a beloved Lust Fifthly Those supernatural Graces or those Divine qualities that are infused into the Soul at first conversion are contrary to all sin and opposite to all sin and engages the heart against all sin and therefore a converted person can have no beloved sin no bosom sin no darling sin Seriously weigh this Argument Sixthly This Opinion may sill many weak Christians with many needless fears doubts and jealousies about their Spiritual and Eternal conditions Weak Christians are very apt to reason thus Surely my Conversion is not sound my Spiritual Estate is not good my Heart is not right with God a saving work has never yet past upon me in power I fear I have not the root of the matter in me I fear I have never had a through change I fear I have never yet been effectually call'd out of darkness into his marvellous light I fear I have never yet been Espoused to Christ I fear the Spirit of God hath never taken up my heart for his Habitation I fear that after all my high profession I shall at last be found an Hypocrite I fear the Execution of that dreadful Sentence Math. 25. Go ye Cursed c. And why all this O poor Soul Answer Because I carry about with me my beloved sins my bosom sins my darling sins Ministers had need be very wary in their Preaching Writing that they don't bring forth fuel to feed the fears and doubts of weak Christians it being a great part of their work to arm weak Christians against their fears and faintings But Seaventhly This Opinion that is now under consideration is an Opinion that is very repugnant to sound and sincere Repentance for sound sincere Repentance includes and takes in a divorce an alienation a detestation a separation and a turning from all sin without exception or reservation One of the first works of the Spirit upon the Soul is the dividing between all known sin and the soul 't is a making an utter breach betwixt all sin and the soul 't is a dissolving of that old League that has been between a Sinner and his sins yea between a Sinner and his beloved Lusts One of the first works of the Spirit is to make a man to look upon all his sins as Enemies yea as his greatest Enemies and to deal with his sins as Enemies and to hate and loath them as Enemies and to fear them as Enemies and to arm against them as Enemies Seriously ponder upon these Scriptures Ezek. 18. 28. 30 31. 14. of Ezek. 6. 2. Cor. 7. 1. Psal 119. 101. 104. 128. verses True Repentance is a turning from all sin without any Reservation or exception he never truly repented of any sin whose heart is not turned against every sin The true penitent casts off all the rags of Old Adam he is for throwing down every stone of the old building he will not leave a horn nor a hoof behind The reasons of turning from sin are universally binding to a penitent Soul There are the same reasons and grounds for a penitent mans turning from every sin as there is for his turning from any one sin Do you turn from this or that sin because the Lord has forbid it why upon the same ground you must turn from every sin for God has forbid every sin as well as this or that particular sin There is the same Authority forbidding or commanding in all and if the Authority of God awes a man from one sin it will awe him from all He that turns from any one sin because it is a Transgression of the holy and righteous Law of God he will turn from every sin upon the same account He that turns from any one sin because it is a dishonour to God a reproach to Christ a grief to the Spirit a wound to Religion c. will upon the same grounds turn from every sin Quest But wherein does a true penitential turning from all sin consist Answ In these six things First in the alienation and inward aversation and drawing off of the Soul from the love and liking of all sin and from all free and voluntary subjection unto sin the heart being filled with a loathing and detestation of all sin Psal 119. 104. 128. as that which is most contrary to all goodness and happiness Secondly In the wills detestation and hatred of all sin when the very bent and inclination of the will is set against all sin and opposes and crosses all sin and is set upon the ruine and destruction of all sin then the Penitent is turned from all sin Rom.
true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience He that comes to God with a true honest upright heart being sprinkled from an evil Conscience may draw near to God in full assurance of Faith whereas guilt clouds clogs and distracts the soul that it can never be with God either as it would or as it should Conscientia pura semper secura A good Conscience hath sure confidence Conscience is mille testes a thousand Witnesses for or against a man Conscience is Gods Preacher in the bosom 'T is better with Euagrius to lye secure on a bed of Straw than to have a turbulent Conscience on a bed of Down It was a Divine saying of Seneca a Heathen viz. That if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burn him no man to see him yet would he not sin for the ugliness of sin and the grief of his own Conscience But Fifthly Cherrishing of any special or peculiar sin or the keeping up of any known transgression in heart or life against the Lord and against the light of a mans own Conscience will greatly hinder his high esteem and reputation of Jesus Christ and so it will keep him from comfort assurance and sight of his interest in him so that somtimes his dearest Children are constrained to cry out God is departed from me and he answereth me not neither by Dream nor Vision neither this way nor that 1 Sam. 28. 15. But Sixthly The greatest and most common cause of the want of assurance comfort and peace is some unmortified Lust some secret special peculiar sin unto which men give entertainment or at least which they do not so vigorously oppose and heartily renounce as they should and might hinc illae lachrymae and this is that which casts them on sore straits and difficulties and how should it be otherwise seeing God who is infinitely wise holy and righteous either cannot or will not reveal the secrets of his love to those who harbour his known Enemies in their bosoms the great God either cannot or will not regard the whinings and complainings of those who play or dally with that very sin which gauls their Consciences and connive and wink at the stirrings and workings of that very Lust for which he hides his face from them and writes bitter things against them Mark all fears and doubts and scruples are begotten upon sin either real or imaginary Now if the sin be but imaginary an enlightned rectified judgment may easily and quickly scatter such fears doubts and scruples as the Sun doth mists and clouds when it shines in its brightness but if the Sin be real then there is no possibility of curing those fears doubts and scruples arising from thence but by an unfained Repentance and returning from that sin Now if I should produce all the Scriptures and instances that stand ready prest to prove this I must transcribe a good part of the Bible but this would be labour in vain seeing it seemeth to have been a notion engraven even on natural Conscience viz. That sin so defiles persons that till they be washed from it neither they nor their services can be accepted from whence arose that custom of setting water-pots at their entrance into their Temples or places of worship Let him that wants assurance comfort peace and a sight of his interest in Christ cast out every known sin and set upon a universal course of Reformation for God will not give his Cordials to those that have a foul Stomack those that against light and checks of Conscience dally and tamper with this sin or that those God will have no commerce no communion with on such God will not lift up the light of his countenance Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and I will give him a white stone and in that stone a new name written These are all Metaphorical expressions which being put together do amount to as much as Assurance but mark these are promised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that overcometh to him that rides on conquering and to conquer O that Christians would seriously remember this The dearer it cost any one to part with his sins the more sweet and comfortable will it be to call to mind the Victory that through the spirit of grace he has got over his sins There is no comfort joy or peace to that which arises from the conquests of sin especially of special sins When Goliah was slain what joy and triumph was there in the Camp So here Seventhly Cherrishing of any special or peculiar sin or the keeping up of any known transgression either in heart or life against the Lord and against the light of a mans own Conscience will hinder the soul from that warm lively fervent frequent seasonable sincere and constant way of duty as contributes most to the increase of grace peace comfort and assurance c. Eighthly Seriously consider of the several assertions and concurrent judgments of our best and most famous Divines in the present case I shall give you a tast of some of their Sayings First A man saith one can have no peace in his Conscience that favoureth and retaineth any one sin in himself against his Conscience Secondly Another saith A man is in a damnable state whatsoever good deeds seem to be in him if he yield not to the work of the Holy Ghost for the leaving but of any one known sin which fighteth against peace of Conscience But Thirdly So long saith another as the power of mortification destroyeth thy sinful affections and so long as thou art unfainedly displeased with all sin and doest mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit thy case is the case of Salvation But Fourthly Another saith A good Conscience stands not with a purpose of sinning no not with irresolution against sin this must be understood of habitual purposes and of a constant irresolution against sin Fifthly The rich and precious box of a good Conscience saith another is polluted and made impure if but one dead fly be suffered in it One sin being quietly permitted and suffered to live in the soul without being disturbed resisted resolved against or lamented over will certainly mar the peace of a good Conscience Sixthly Where there is but any one sin saith another nourished and fostered all other our graces are not only blemished but abolished they are no graces Dike of the deceiptfulness of the heat chap. 16. Seventhly Most true is that saying of Aquinus That all sins are coupled together though not in regard of conversion to temporal good for some look to the good of gain some of glory some of pleasure yet in regard of aversion from eternal good that is God So that he that looks but towards one sin is as much averted and turned back from God as if he looked to all in which respect St. James says He that offâ—ndeth
when Angels Devils Men shall stand before the Lord Jesus whom God the Father hath ordained to be the Judge of Quick and Dead Act. 17. 31. Now to this great Question I Answer that the sins of the Saints the infirmities and enormities of Believers shall never be brought into the Judgment of discussion and discovery they shall never be objected against them either in their particular day of Judgment or in the great day of their Account Now this truth I shall make good by an induction of particulars thus First Our Lord Jesus Christ in His judicial proceedings in the last day which is set down clearly and largely in Math. 25. 34. to ver 42. doth only enumerate the good works they have done but takes not the least notice of the spots and blemishes of the infirmities or enormities Deut. 32. 4 5 6. Dan. 9. 24. of the weaknesses or wickednesses of his people God has sealed up the sins of his people never to be remembred or lookt upon more In the great day the book of Gods Remembrance shall be opened and publickly read that all the good things that the Saints have done for God for Christ for Saints for their own Souls for Sinners and that all the great things that they have suffered for Christ's sake and the Gospels sake may be mentioned to their everlasting praise to their eternal honour And though the choicest and chiefest Saints on Rom 7. 23 24. Gal. 5. 17. Earth have 1. Sin dwelling in them 2. Operating and working in them 3. Vexing and molesting of them being as so many Goads in their sides and Thorns in their eyes 4. Captivating and prevailing over them yet in that large Recital which shall then be read of the Saints lives Math. 25. There is not the least mention made either of sins of Omission or Commission nor the least mention made either of great sins or of small sins nor the least mention made either of sins before Conversion or after Conversion Here in this world the best of Saints have had their buts their spots their blots their specks as the fairest day hath its Clouds the finest Linnen its spots and the richest Jewels their specks but now in the judicial process of this last and universal Assizes there is not found in all the Books that shall then be opened so much as one unsavory but to blemish the Rev. 20. 12. Dan. 7. 10. Num. 23. 21. fair Characters of the Saints Surely he that sees no Iniquity in Jacob nor perverseness in Israel to impute it to them whilst they live he will never charge Iniquity or perverseness upon them in the great day Surely he who has fully satisfied his Fathers Justice for his peoples sins and who hath by his own Blood ballanced and made Isa 53. up all Reckonings and Accounts between God and their souls he will never charge upon them their faults and follies in the great day Surely he who hath spoken so much for his Saints whilst he was on Earth and who hath continually interceded for them since he went to John 17. Heb. 7. 25. Heaven he won't though he hath cause to blame them for many things speak any thing against them in the great day Surely Jesus Christ the Saints Pay-master Heb. 10. 10 12 14. Matth. 18. 24. Col. 2 14. who hath discharged their whole debt at once who hath paid down upon the nayl the ten thousand Talents which we owed and took in the Bond and nailed it to the Cross leaving no back-reckonings unpaid to bring his poor Children which are the travail of his soul afterward Isa 53. 11. into any danger from the hands of Divine Justice he will never mention the sins of his people he will never charge the sins of his people upon them in the great day Our dear Lord Jesus who is the Righteous Judg of Heaven and Earth in the great day of account He will bring in Omnia bene in his presentment all fair and well and accordingly will make Proclamation in that High-Court of Justice before God Angels Devils Saints and Sinners c. Christ will not charge his Children with the least unkindness he will not charge his Spouse with the least unfaithfulness in the great day yea he will represent them before God Angels and Men as compleat in him as all fair and spotless as without spot or wrinkle as without fault before the Throne of God as holy and Col. 2. 10. Cant. 4. 7. Ephe. 5. â—7 Rev. 14 5. unblameable and unreproveable in his sight as immaculate as the Angels themselves who kept their first Estate This honour shall have all the Saints and thus shall Christ be glorified in his Saints and admired in all 1 Thâ—s 2. 10 them that believe The greatest part of the Saints by far will have past their particular judgment long before Heb 9. 27. the general judgment and being therein acquitted and discharged from all their sins by God the Judge of the quick and dead and admitted into Heaven upon the credit 2 Tim. 4. 1. of Christs Blood Righteous satisfaction and their free and full justification It cannot be imagined that Jesus Christ in the great day will bring in any new charge against his Children when they have been cleared and absolved already Certainly when once the Saints are freely and fully Absolved from all their sins by a Divine Sentence then their sins shall never be remembred they shall never be objected against them any more For one Divine Sentence cannot cross and rescind another the Judge of all the world had long since cast all their sins behind his back and will he now set them before his face Isa 38. 17. and before the faces of all the world surely no he has long since cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea bottomless depths of everlasting Oblivion that they might Micah 7. 19. never be buoyed up any more He has not only forgiven their sins but he has also forgotten their sins And Jer. 31. 34. will he remember them and declare them in the great day surely no God has long since blotted out the transgressions Isa 43. 25. of his people This Metaphor is taken from Creditors who when they purpose never to exact a Debt will blot it out of their Books Now after that a Debt is strucken out of a Bill Bond or Book it cannot be exacted the Evidence cannot be pleaded Christ Col. 2. 14. having crost the debt-Book with the red lines of his Blood If now he should call the sins of his people to remembrance and charge them upon them he should cross the great design of his cross Upon this foundation stands the absolute impossibility that any sin that the least sin yea that the least circumstance of sin or the least aggravation of sin should be so much as mentioned by the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth in the process of that
by charging them all upon Christs score That is a great expression of Nathan to David The Lord hath put away thy sin But the Original runs thus The Lord hath made thy sins to pass over that is to 2 Sam 12. 13. pass over from thee to his Son he hath laid them to his charge Now Christ hath discharged all his Peoples Debts and Bonds There is a two-fold debt which lay upon us one was the debt of Obedience unto the Law and this Christ did pay by fulfilling all Righteousness Math. 3. 15. The other was the debt of punishment for our transgressions and this debt Christ discharged by his Death on the Cross Isa 53. 4 10 12. and by being made a Curse for us to redeem us from the Curse Gal. 3. 13. Hence it is that we are said to be bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. chap. 7. 23. and that Christ is called our Raâ—som Lutron Math. 20. 28. and Antilutron 1 Tim. 2. 6. The words do signifie a valuable price laid down for anothers Ransom The Blood of Christ the Son of God was a valuable price a sufficient price it was as much as would take off all Enmities and take away all Sin and to satisfie Divine Justice and indeed so it did and therefore you read That in his blood we have Redemption even the forgiveness of our sins Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 14 20. and his death was such a full compensation to divine Justice that the Apostle makes a challenge to all Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect and vers 34. Who is he that Condemneth it is Christ that dyed As if he had said Christ hath satisfied and discharged all The Greek word Antilutron is of special Emphasis The vulgar Latine renders it Redemptionem Redemption Beza Redemptioms precium a price of Redemption but neither of them fully expressing the force of the word which properly signifieth a counter-price when one doth undergoe in the room of another that which he should have undergone in his own person As when one yields himself a Captive for the Redeeming of another out of Captivity or giveth his own life for the saving of anothers There were such Sureties among the Greeks as gave life for life body for body and in this sence the Apostle is to be understood when he saith that Christ gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom a counter-price paying a price for his people Christ hath laid down a price for all Believers they are his dear bought Ones they are his choyce redeemed Ones Isa 51. 11. Christ gave himself Antilutron a counter-price a Ransom submitting himself to the like punishment that his redeemed Ones should have undergone Christ to deliver his Elect from the Curse of the Law did subject himself to that same Curse of the Law under which all man-kind lay Jesus Christ was a true Surety one that gave his life for the life of others as the Apostle saith of Castor and Pollux that the one redeemed the others life with his own death So did the Lord Jesus he became such a Surety for his Elect giving himself an Antilutron a Ransom for them Joh. 6. 51. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. Rev. 1. 5. chap. 5. 9. O what comfort is this unto us to have such a Jesus who himself bare our sins even all our sins left not one unsatisfied for laid down a full ransom a full price such an expiatory Sacrifice as that now we are out of the hands of Justice and Wrath and Death and Curse and Hell and are reconciled and made near by the Blood of the everlasting Covenant the Blood of Christ as the Scripture speaks is the Blood of God Act. 20. 28. So that there is not only satisfaction but merit in his Blood there is more in Christs Blood than meer payment or satisfaction there was merit also in it to acquire and procure and purchase all spiritual good and all eternal good for the people of God not only immunities from sin Death Wrath Curse Hell c. but priviledges and dignities of Sons and Heirs yea all Grace and all Love and all Peace and all Glory even that glorious Inheritance purchased by his Blood Ephes 1. 14. Remember this once for all that in justification our debts are charged upon Christ they go upon his accounts you know that in sin there is the vicious and staining quality of it and there is the resulting guilt of it which is the obligation of a Sinner over to the Judgment Seat of God to answer for it Now this guilt in which lies our debt this is charged upon Christ Therefore saith the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5. 19. And hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin ver 21. You know in Law the Wifes Debts are charged upon the Husband and if the Debtor be disabled than the Creditor sues the Surety Fide jussor or Surety and Debitor in Law are reputed as one person Now Christ is our Fide jussor He is made sin for us saith the Apostle for us that is in our stead A Surety for us one who puts our scores on his accounts our burden on his shoulders so saith that Princely Prophet Isaiah Isa 53. 4 5. He hath born our griefs and carried our soroows how so He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities that is he stood in our stead he took upon him the answering of our sins the satisfying of our debts the clearing of our guilt and therefore was it that he was so bruised c. You remember the scape-Goat upon his Head all the Iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins were confessed and put And the Goat did bâ—ar upon him all their Iniquities Lev. 16. 21 22. What is the meaning of this Surely Jesus Christ upon whom our sins were laid and who alone died for the ungodly Rom. 5. 6. and bear our burdens away Therefore the Believer in the sence of guilt should run unto Christ and offer up his Blood unto the Father and say Lord it is true I owe Thee so much yet Father forgive me remember that thine own Son was my Ransom his Blood was the price he was my Surety and undertook to answer for my sins I beseech thee accept of his Attonement for he is my Surety my Redemption Thou must be satisfied but Christ hath satisfied thee not for himself what sins had he of his own but for me they were my debts which he satisfied for and look over thy book and thou shalt find it so for thou hast said He was made sin for us and that he was wounded for our transgressions Now what a singular support what an admirable comfort is this that we our selves are not to make up our accounts and reckonings but that Christ hath cleared all accounts and
thou didst forgive all my iniquities thou did'st blot out all my transgressions and as upon my first believing thou didst give me the Remission of all my sins so upon my first believing thou did'st free me from a state of Condemnation and interest me in the great Salvation Upon my first believing I was united to Jesus Christ and I was cloathed with the Rom 8. 1. Heb. 2 3. Righteousness of Christ which covered all my sins and discharged me from all my transgressions remember O Lord that at the very moment of my dissolution thou did'st really perfectly universally and finally forgive all my sins every debt that moment was discharged and every Score that moment was crossed and every Bill and Bond that moment was cancelled so that there was not left in the book of thy remembrance one sin no not the least sin standing upon Record against my soul And besides all this thou knowest O Lord that all my sins were laid upon Christ my Surety and that he became responsible Heb. 7. 21. 22. for them all he did dye he did lay down his life he did make his soul an offering for my sins he did become a curse he did endure thy infinite wrath he did give compleat satisfaction and a full compensation unto thy Justice for all my sins debts trespasses This is my plea O Lord and by this plea I shall stand Well saith the Lord I allow of this plea I accept of this plea as just honourable and righteous Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. But Seventhly Consider that what ever we are bound to do or to suffer by the Law of God all that did Christ do and suffer for us as being our Surety and Mediator Now the Law of God hath a double challenge or demand upon us one is of active obedience in fulfilling what it requires the other is of passive obedience in suffering that punishment which lies upon us for the transgression of it in doing what it forbids For as we are Created by God we did owe unto him all obedience which he required and as we sinned against God we did owe unto him a suffering of all that punishment which he threatned and we being fallen by transgression can neither pay the one debt nor yet the other we cannot do all that the Law requires Nay of our selves we can do nothing neither can we suffer as to satisfie God in his Justice wronged by us or to recover our selves into life and favour again and therefore Jesus Christ who was God made man did become our Surety and stood in our stead or room and he did perform what we should but could not perform and he did bear our sins and our sorrows he did suffer and bear for us what we our selves should have born and suffered whereby he did fully satisfie the justice of God and made our peace and purchased life and happiness for us Let me a little more clearly and fully open this great truth in these few particulars First Jesus Christ did perform that active obedience unto the Law of God which we should but by reason of sin could not perform in which respect he is said Gal. 4. 4. To be made under the Law that he might redeem them that were under the Law So far was Christ under the Law as to redeem them that were under the Law But redeem them that were under the Law he could not unless by discharging the bonds of the Law in force upon us and all those bonds could not be and were not discharged unless a perfect righteousness had been presented on our behalf who were under the Law to fulfill the Law Now there is a two-fold Righteousness necessary to the actual fulfilling of the Law one is an internal Righteousness of the Nature of man the other is an external Righteousness of the Life or works of man both of these do the Law require The former Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. which is the sum of the first Table And thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self which is the sum of the second Table the latter Do this and live Levit. 18. 5. He that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them is Cursed Gal. 3. 10. Now both these Righteousnesses were sound in Christ First the internal Heh 7. 26. He was holy harmless undefiled separated from sinners chap. 9. 14. And offered himself without spot to God 2 Cor. 5. 21. He knew no sin Secondly External 1 Pet. 2. 22. He did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth Joh. 17. 4 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Math. 3. 15. He must fulfill all Righteousness Rom. 10. 4. Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Now concerning Christs active obedience to the Law of God these things are considerable in it First The universality of it he did whatsoever his Father required and left nothing of his Fathers will undone he kept the whole Law and offended not in one point What ever was required of us by vertue of any Law that he did and fulfilled Hence he is said to be made under the Law Gal. 4. 4. Subject or obnoxious to it to all the precepts or commands of it Christ was so made under the Law as those were under the Law whom he was to Redeem Now we were under the Law not only as obnoxious to its penalties but as bound to all the duties of it that this is our being under the Law is evident by that of the Apostle Gal. 4. 2◠Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law surely it was not the penalty of the Law they desired to be under but to be under it in respect of obedience so Math. 3. 15. Here Christ tell you That it became him to fulfil all Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all manner of Righteousness whatsoever that is every thing that God required as is evident from the Application of that general Oxiome to the Baptisme of John But Secondly The exactness and perfection of it He kept the whole Law exactly as he was not wanting in matter so he did not fail in the manner of performing his Fathers Will there was no defects nothing lacking in his obedience he did all things well what we are pressing towards and reaching forth unto he attained he was perfect in every good work and stood compleat in the whole will of his Father And hence it is that it is Recorded of him that he was without sin knew no sin did no sin which could not be if he had failed in any thing But Thirdly The constancy of it Christ did not obey by sits but constantly though we cannot yet he continued in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them This Righteous One held on his way he did not fail nor was he discouraged yea when
persecution and tribulation did arise against him because of his doing the Will of his Father he was not offended but did always do the things which pleased his Father as he told the Jews Joh. 8. 29. Fourthly The delight that he took in doing the Will of his Father Psal 40. 8. I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart or in the mid'st of my bowels as the Hebrew runs by the Law of God we are to understand all the Commandements of God there is not one Command which Christ did not delight to do Christs obedience was without murmuring or grudging his Fathers Commandements were not grievous to him he tells his Disciples that it was his 〈◊〉 to do the Will of him that sent him and to finish his work John 4. 34. But Fifthly The vertue and efficacy of it for his obedience his righteousness never returns to him void but it always accomplishes that which he pleases and prospers in the thing whereto he ordains it and that is the making others Righteous according to that of the Apostle Rom. 5. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinnâ—rs so by the â—â—bedience of one shall many be made Righteous 2 Cor. 5. 21. God made him to be sin for us who knew no 〈◊〉 that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him and accordingly we are for of God he is made unto us Righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. The perfect compleat Obedience of Christ to the Law is certainly reckoned to us that is an everlasting truth If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandements Math. 19. 17. The Commandements must be kept either by our selves or by our Surety or there is no entering into life Christ did obey the Law not for himself but for us and in our stead Rom. 5. 18 19. By the Righteousness of one the free-gift came upon all men unto justification of life By the Obedience of one many shall be made Righteons By his Obedience to the Law we are made Righteous Christs Obedience is reckoned to us for Righteousness Christ by his Obedience to the Royal Law is made Righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. We are saved by that perfect Obedience which Christ when he was in this world yeelded to the blessed Law of God Mark what ever Christ did as Mediator he did it for those whose Mediator he was or in whose stead and for whose good he executed the Office of a Mediator before God this the Holy Ghost witnesseth Rom. 8. 3 4. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us The word Likeness is not simply to be referred to flesh but to sinful flesh as Basil well observes for Christ was like unto us in all things sin only excepted If with our justification from sin there be joyned that active Obedience of Christ which is imputed to us We are just before God according to that perfect form which the Law requireth Because we could not in this condition of weakness whereinto we are cast by sin come to God and be freed from Condemnation by the Law God sent Christ as a Mediator to do and suffer what ever the Law required at our hands for that end and purpose that we might not be condemned but accepted of God It was all to this end that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that is which the Law required of us consisting in duties of obedience this Christ performed for us This expression of the Apostle God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh if you will add to it that of Gal. 4. 4. That he was so sent forth as that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made under the Law that is obnoxious to it to yield all the obedience that it doth require compares the whole of what Christ did or suffered and all this the Holy Ghost tells us was for us vers 4. He that made the Law as God was made under the Law as God-Man whereby both the obligations of the Law fell upon him 1. Paenal 2. Praeceptive First The paenal Obligation to undergoe the Curse and so to satisfie Divine Justice Secondly The praeceptive Obligation to fulfil all Righteousness Math. 3. 15. This Obligation he fulfilled by doing the other by Dying Mark this double Obligation could not have befallen the Lord Jesus Christ upon any natural account of his own but upon his Mediatory account only as he voluntarily became the Surety of this New and better Covenant Heb. 7. 22. so that the fruit and benefit of Christs voluntary subjection to the Law redoundeth not at all to himself but unto the persons which were given him of the Father Joh. 17. whose Sponsor he became for their sakes he underwent the paenal Obligation of the Law that it might do them no harm He being made a Curse for us Gal. 3. 13. and for their sakes he fulfilled the praeceptive Obligation of the Law do this that so the Law might do them good This the Evangelical Apostle clearly asserts Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Romans 10. 4. Christ is the end of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what end why sinis perfectiuus the perfection and accomplishment of the Law he is the end of the Law for Righteousness that is to the end that by Christ his active obedience God might have his perfect Law perfectly kept that so there might be a Righteousness extant in the humane nature every way adaequate to the perfection of the Law And who must wear this Garment of Righteousness when Christ hath finished it Surely the Believer who wanted a Righteousness of his own for so it follows for Righteousness to every one that believeth that is that every poor naked Sinner believing in Jesus Christ might have a Righteousness wherein being found he might appear at Gods Tribunal but his nakedness not appears But as Jacob in the Garment of his Elder Brother Esau so the Believer in the Garment of his Elder Brother Jesus might inherit the blessing even the great blessing of Justification The only matter of mans Righteousness since the fall of Adam wherein he can appear with comfort before the justice of God and consequently whereby alone he can be justified in his sight is the obdience and sufferings of Jesus Christ the Righteousness of the Mediator there is not any other way imaginable how the Justice of God may be satisfied and we may have our sins pardoned in a way of justice but by the Righteousness of the Son of God and therefore is his name Jehovah Tridkenna The Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23. 6. This is his name that is this is the prerogative of the Lord Jesus a matter
to deliver and therefore though he did suffer death for us in the substance of it yet he neither did nor could suffer death in the circumstances of it so as for ever to be held by death for then in suffering death he should not have conquered death nor delivered us from death neither was it necessary to Christ's substitution that he should undergo in every respect the same punishment which the offender himself was liable unto but if he underwent so much punishment as did satisfie the Law and vindicate the Law-giver in his holiness truth justice and righteousness that was enough Now that was unquestionably done by Christ as the Scriptures do abundantly testifie It must be readily granted that Christ was to suffer the whole punishment due unto sin so far as it became the dignity of his person and the necessity of the work but if he had suffered eternally the work of Redemption could never have been accomplished and besides he should have suffered that which could no ways beseem him And therefore the Apostle saith Heb. 2. 10. It became him to be consecrated through sufferings Christ was only to pass through such sufferings as became him who was ordained to be the Prince and Captain of our salvation It became him to be man and it became him in our humane nature to suffer death and it became him to sustain for us the substance of those punishments that we should have undergone and accordingly he did what our sins did deserve and what justice might lay upon us for those sins all that did Christ certainly suffer or bear Jesus Christ did so suffer for our sins as that his sufferings were fully answerable to the demerit of our sins And I think I may safely say that God in justice could not require any more or lay on any one more punishment than Jesus Christ did suffer for our sins and my reason is this because Christ bare all our sins and all our sorrows and was obedient unto the death and made a Isa 53. Gal. 3. 13. curse for us and more than this the Law of God could not require and if Christ did suffer all that the Law of God required then certainly he suffeed so much as did satisfie the justice of God viz. as much punishment as was commensurated with sin But Seventhly and lastly the meritorious cause the main 7. Isa 53. 4 5. There were other subordinate ends of his sufferings as 1. To sanctifie sufferings to us 2. To sweeten sufferings to us 3. To succour us experimentally under all our sufferings Heb. 2. 17 18. 4. That he might be prepared to enter into his glory Luk. 24. 26 5. That he might be a Conquerour over sufferings which was one piece of his greatest glory c. end and the special occasion of all the sufferings of Christ were the sins of his people Christ was our surety and he could not satisfie for our sins nor reconcile us to God without suffering Isa 53. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions the Hebrew word for wounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a double Emphasis either it may signifie that he was pierced through as with a dart or that he was tormented or pained as women or other creatures are wont to be that bring forth with pain and torment at the time of their travail for the word in the Text last cited comes regularly from a root that signifies properly to be in pain as women are when they bring forth It was our transgressions that gave Christ his deadly wounds it was our sins that smote him and bruised him Look as Zippora said to Moses Exod. 4. 25. Surely a bloody husband art thou to me so may Christ say to his Church surely a bloody spouse hast thou been to me Christ's spouse may look upon him and say It was I that have been that Judas that have betrayed thee it was I that was the souldiers that murdered thee It was my sins that brought all sorrows and sufferings all mischiefs and evils upon thee I have sinned and thou hast suffered I have eaten the sower Grapes and thy teeth were set on edge I have sinned and thou hast died I have wounded thee and thou hast healed me It is the wisdom and oh that it might be more and more the work of every believer to look upon an humble Christ with an humble heart a broken Christ with a broken heart a bleeding Christ with a bleeding heart a wounded Christ with a wounded heart according to that Zech. 12. 10. Christ was wounded bruised and cut off for sinners sins When Christ was taken by the souldiers he said If ye seek me let these go their way Christ was willing that the hurt which sinners had done to God and the debt which they owed to him should be set upon his score and put upon his account and the Apostle mentions it as a remarkable thing That Christ died for the ungodly Rom. 5. 8. The just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3. 18. our sins were the meritorious cause of Christ's sufferings Christ did not suffer for himself for Heb. 4. 15. cap. 7. 26. he was without sin neither was guile found in his mouth The grand design errand and business about which Christ came into the world was to save sinners He had his 1 Tim. 1. 15. Mat. 1. 21. name Jesus because he was to save is people from their sins he died for our sins not only for our good as the final cause but for our sins as the procuring cause of his death He was delivered for our offences Christ died Rom. 4. 25. 1 Cor. 15. 3. for our sins according to the scriptures that is according to what was typified prophesied and promised in the blessed Scriptures Gal. 1. 4. He gave himself for our sins 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body upon the tree by whose stripes ye were healed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Testament hath not the like two relatives at once in the original as if I should say by whose stripes of his we are healed Peter saith Estius alludes to the stripes that servants receive from their cruel masters therefore he return to the second person ye are healed here you see that the Physician 's blood became the sick man's salve we can hardly believe the power of sword-salve But here is a mystery that only the Gospel can assure us of that the wounding of one should be the cure of another Oh what an odious thing is sin to God that he will pardon none without blood yea without the blood of his dearest son Oh what a Hell of wickedness Heb. 9. 22. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. must there be in sin that nothing can expiate it but the best the purest the noblest blood that ever run in veins Oh what a transcendent evil must sin be that nothing can purge it away but death but the death of the Cross no death but an
a matter that appertaineth to him alone to be able to bring in everlasting righteousness and to make reconciliation Dan. 9. 24. for iniquity The costly Cloak of Alcisthenes 'T is a sign of great favor from the Great Turk when a rich garment is cast upon any that come into his presence Knolls Hist The application is easie which Dionysius sold to the Carthaginians for an hundred talents was indeed a mean and beggarly rag to that embroidered Mantle of Christ's Righteousness that he puts upon us Isai 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and a bride adorneth her self with her jewels Christ's Righteousness is that garment of wrought gold that we all need to cover all our imperfections Psal 45. 13. Rom. 5. 19. Col. 2. 10. Eph. 5 27. Rev. 14. 5. Rom. 3. 21 22 25 26. and to render us perfectly beautiful and glorious in the sight of God in this Robe of Righteousness we are complete we are without spot or wrinkle we are without fault before the throne of God through the imputation of Christ's righteousness we are made righteous in the sight of God God looking upon us as invested with the righteousness of his Son accounts us righteous All believers have a righteousness in Christ as full and complete as if they had fulfilled the Law Christ being the end of the Law for righteousness to believers Rom. 8. 3 4. invests believers with a righteousness every way as complete as the personal obedience of the Law would have invested them withal When men had violated God's holy Law God in justice resolved that his Law should be satisfied before man should be saved now this was done by Christ who was the end of the Law he fulfilled it actively and passively and so the injury offered to the Law is recompenced God had rather that all men should be destroyed than that his Law should not be satisfied No man can perfectly be justified in the sight of God without a perfect righteousness every way commensurable to God's holy Law which is the Rule of righteousness Do this and live neither can any person have any choice spiritual lively communion with a righteous God till he be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ All Christ's active and passive obedience was either for himself or in our stead and behalf but it was not for himself but for us that he suffered and obeyed whatsoever Christ did or suffered in the whole course of his life he did it and suffered it as our Surety and in our steads for as God would not dispense with the penalty of the Law without satisfaction so he would not dispense with the commands of the Law without perfect obedience Remember once for all that the Actions and sufferings of Christ make but up one entire and perfect obedience to the whole Law nor had Christ been a perfect and complete Saviour if he had not performed what the Law required as well as suffered the penalty which the Law inflicted The imputation of Christ's Righteousness to us is a gracious Act of God the Father according to his good will and pleasure whereby as a Judge he accounts believers sins unto the Surety as if he had committed the same and the righteousness of Christ unto the believer as if he had performed the same the same obedience that Christ did in his own person so that Christ's imputed Righteousness is as effectual to the full for the acceptance of the believing sinner as if he had yielded such obedience to the Lord himself hence his righteousness is called our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. now without this righteousness there is no standing before the Justice of God But Thirdly As this great design of Christ's redeeming sinners by his blood and sufferings and by his being made a curse for them doth sound aloud the glory of divine Justice and the glory of Gods Veracity so it sounds forth the glory of his Wisdom for hereby he Solon that wise Law maker could never find out a law to put all other good laws in execution but such as are living laws will make the laws to live and will not the wise and living God make his laws and threatnings to live surely he will maintains the authority of his righteous Law When a Law is solemnly enacted with a penalty in case of transgression all those whom it concerns may conclude for certain that the Law-giver will proceed accordingly and it is a Rule in Policy That Laws once established and published should be vigorously preserved If the Lord should have wholly wav'd the execution of the Law upon sinners or their surety it might have tended greatly to the weakning of its authority and the diminishing of the reverence of his sovereignty in the hearts of the sons of men How often does God use that Oath As I live for the fulfilling of his threatnings as well as of his Jer. 22. 24. Ezek. 5. 9 10 11. promises the Lord Jehovah is as true faithful and constant in his threatnings as in his promises what he hath threatned shall undoubtedly come to pass he will be made known by his Name Jehovah in the full execution of all his threatnings The old World found it so and Jerusalem found it so yea the whole Nation of the Jews have found it so to this very day Look as all the saints See Ezek. 5. 13 15. in heaven will readily put to their Seals that God is true and faithful in all his Promises so all the damned in hell will readily put to their Seals that God is faithful in all his threatnings Men frequently deride the Laws and threatnings of great men when they are not put into execution it is the execution of Laws that is the very life and soul of good Laws Should God pardon sin without exacting the penalty of the Law how Eccles 8. 11. Mal. 2. 17. Such an emphasis there is in the Hebrew as Corn. Ã Lapide observes would sinners be hardned and emboldned to say with those men or rather monsters in Malachi Where is the God of judgment i. e. no where either there is no God or at least not a God of that exact precise and impartial judgment as some men say and as others teach But now when God lets sinners see that he will not pardon sin without exacting the penalty of the Law either of the sinner or of his Surety then the sinner cries out O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom Rom. 11. 33. and knowledge of God! God stood so much upon the complete satisfaction and accomplishment of his Law that he was willing that Christ should be a sacrifice that the Law might be satisfied in its penalty and that Christ Rom. 8. 3 4 5. in his own
vers 12. Yea surely God will not do wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert judgment It would be high injustice in a magistrate to punish the same offence twice and it would be high blasphemy for any to assert that ever God should be guilty of such injustice Whilst Christians set up a righteousness of their own and build not upon the Rom. 10. 3. righteousness of Christ how unsetled are they how miserably are they tossed up and down sometimes fearing and sometimes hoping sometimes supposing themselves in a good condition and anon seeing themselves upon the very brink of hell but now all is quiet and serene with that soul that builds upon the righteousness of Christ for he being justified by faith hath peace with God observe Rom. 5. 1. that noble description of Christ in that Isa 32. 2. And a man that is the man Christ Jesus shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land When a man is clothed with the righteousness of Christ who is God man it is neither wind nor tempest it is neither drought nor weariness that can disturb the peace of his soul for Christ and his righteousness will be a hiding place a cover and rivers of water and the shadow of a great rock unto him for being at perfect peace with God he may well say with the Psalmist Isa 26. 3. Psal 4. 6 7 8. I will lay me down in peace The peace and comfort of an awakened sinner can never stand firm and stable but upon the Basis of a positive righteousness When a sensible sinner casts his eye upon his own righteousness holiness fastings prayers tears humblings meltings he can find no place for the sole of his foot to rest firmly upon by reason of the spots and blots and blemishes that cleaves both to his graces and duties He knows that his prayers need pardon and that his tears need washing in the blood of the Lamb and that his very righteousness needs another's righteousness to secure him from condemnation If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand Psal 130. 3. Psal 1. 5. that is rectus in curia stand that is in judgment Extremity of justice he deprecateth he would not be dealt with in rigour and rage The best man's life is fuller of sins than the firmament is of stars or the furnace of sparks and therefore who can stand in judgment and not fall under the weight of thy just wrath which burneth as low as hell it self i. e. none can stand were the faults of the best man alive but written in his forehead he was never able to stand in judgment when a man comes to the Law for Justification it convinceth him of sin when he pleads his innocence that he is not so great a sinner as others are when he pleds his righteousness his duties his good meanings and his good desires the Law tells him that they are all weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary and found Dau. 5. 27. too light the Law tells him that the best of his duties will not save him and that the least of his sins will damn him the Law tells him that his own righteousnesses are as filthy rags do but defile him and that his best services do but witness against him The Law looks for perfect and personal obedience and because the sinner cannot come up to it it pronounceth him accursed and though the Gal. 3. 10. sinner sues hard for mercy yet the Law will shew him none no though he seeks it carefully with tears but Heb. 12. 17. now when the believing sinner casts his eye upon the righteousness of Christ he sees that righteousness to be a perfect and exact righteousness as perfect and exact as that of the Law yea it is the very righteousness of the Law though not performed by him yet by his surety the Lord his righteousness and upon this foundation he stands firm and rejoyces with joy unspeakable and full of glory The Saints of old have always placed their happiness peace and comfort in their perfect and compleat Justification rather than in their imperfect and incompleat sanctification as you may see by the Scriptures in the margent with Jer. 23. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Luk. 7. 48 50. Rom. 4. 6 8. cap. 5. 1 3. Isa 38. 16 17. cap. 45. 24 25. Phil. 4. 7. many others that are scattered up and down in the blessed book of God That text is worthy to be written in letters of Gold Isa 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord saith the sound believer my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation He hath imputed and given unto me the perfect holiness and obedience of my blessed Saviour and made it mine he hath covered me all over from top to toe with the robe of righteousness as a bride groom decketh himself with ornaments and as a bride adorneth her self with her jewels Though a Christian's inherent righteousness be weak and imperfect â—maimed and stained blotted and blurred as it is yet it affords much comfort peace joy and rejoycing 1 Chron. 29. 9. Jâ—b 27. 4 5 6. Neh. 13. 14 22 31. Isa 38. 3. Prov. 21. 14. 2 Cor. 1. 12. 1 Pet. 3. 3. 4. cap. 5. 4. as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together Job was much taken with his inherent righteousness Job 29. 14. I put on righteousness and it cloathed me my judgment was as a robe and a diadem unto me Look as sober modest comely apparel doth much set forth and adorn the body in the eyes of men so doth inherent grace inherent holiness inherent righteousness when it sparkles in the faces lips lives and good works of the Saints much more beautifie and adorn them in the eyes both of God and man Now if this garment of inherent righteousness that hath so many spots and rents in it will adorn us and joy us so much what a beauty and glory is that which the Lord our God hath put upon us in clothing us with the robe of his son's righteousness for by this means we shall recover more by Christ than we lost by Adam the robe of righteousness which we have gotten by Christ the second Adam is far more glorious than that which we were deprived of by the first Adam But Seventhly Then know for your comfort that you 7. Gal. 6. 14. have the highest reason in the world to rejoyce and triumph in Christ Jesus Phil. 3. 3. For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus we rejoyce in the person of Christ and we rejoyce in the righteousness of Christ 2 Cor. 2. 14. Now thanks be to God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ Deo gratias was ever in Paul â—s
own hand I will repay it i. e. account Onesimus his debt to Paul and Paul's satisfaction or payment to Onesimus which answers the double imputation in point of Justification that is of our sins or debts to Christ and of Christ's satisfaction to us Consider Christ as a Surety and so he hath fully paid all our debts and set us perfectly free for ever A Surety is one that enters into bond and engages himself for the debt of another and so Christ is become our Surety therefore he was bound by our bond and engageth himself for the debt of another for our debt he was made under the Law and so as a sacrifice he stood in the stead of a sinner and the sacrifice was to be offered for the man and so some expound that place He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. that is a sin-offering therefore he doth take our sins upon him as his own Isa 53. and so the Lord doth impute them and lay them upon him as his own ver 6. He did make to meet upon him the iniquities of us all the original word here used comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pagang which word in its native propriety intends a kind of force or violence impetum fecit they met with all their violence upon him and therefore he was made sin for us that is as a Surety in our stead he did bear our sins in his body upon the tree he was delivered for our transgressions our Surety hath paid all our debts The chastisement of our peace Isa 53. â— 10. was upon him and it pleased the Father to bruise him the original word signifies to break him to pieces as in a mortar By the great things that our Surety has done for us and the great things that he hath suffered for us he hath given most perfect and complete satisfaction both to his Fathers Law and to his Fathers Justice and this pleased the Father Wâ—igh well that Col. 2. 14. He Some by the hand writing do understand the Covenant of God with Adam Beza and Calvin do understand it of the Ceremonial Law But saith Châ—sâ—tom It is meant not only of the Ceremonial Law but also of the Moral Law as a Covenant of wâ—rks Occumenâ—us Jerâ—me and others are of the sâ—re opinion Bâ—t sâ—ith Zanâ—hy thâ— is sâ—â—len◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 wrâ— were 〈◊〉 un â—â—rtie â—â—â—â—inonial â—â—n blotted out the hand-writing of ordninances that was against us that was contrary unto us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross Christ hath crossed out the black lines of our sin with the red lines of his own blood The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the hand-writing some do take here for a writing written with God's own hand in Tables of stone as the Law of the Ten Commandments were Exod. 34. 1. and this is by them understood of the moral Law or of the Ten Commandments which are said to be against us in respect of their strict requiring of perfect obedience or in default thereof by reason of its curse which Christ as our Surety hath born for us on the Cross and delivered us from it Gal. 3. 10 13. But others by this hand-writing do understand the Law of the Ceremonies of the Old Testament In the general it was something that God had against us to shew or convince or prove that we had sinned against him and were his debtors I suppose that this hand-writing was principally the Moral Law obliging us unto perfect obedience and condemning us for the defect of the same and likewise those Ceremonial Rites which as Beza observes were a kind of publick confession of our debts Now these were against and contrary unto us in as much as they did argue us guilty of sin and condemnation which the Moral Law threatned and sentenced c. but saith the Apostle Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing and hath taken it out of the way and nailed it to his cross that is Jesus Christ hath not only abrogated the Ceremonial Law but also the damnatory power of the Moral Law as our Surety by performing an act of obedience which the Law did require and by undergoing the punishment which the Law did exact from the trangressors of it And so Christ doing and suffering what we were bound to do and to suffer he did thereby blot out the Hand-writing and cancelled it and therefore we may safely conclude that the Creditor is fully satisfied when he gives in hâ—s Bond to be cancelled There are two ways of cancelling a Bond laceratione liturâ here it is blotted out and can be read no more than if it had never been the obligatory power of the Law as a Covenant is taken away God delivered his people from Pharaoh by force and from Babylon by savour but that deliverance that Christ as our Surety hands out to us from sin from wrath from hell from the curse and from the moral Law as it is a Covenant of works is obtained justo pretio soluto by paying a full price by which one becomes satisfied and another thereupon delivered Heb. 9. 26. He hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself to put away sin is to abolish or make void the guilt or obligation â—aâ— 9. 24. si 38. 17. 〈◊〉 7. 19. of sin whereby it binds over unbelievers to condemnation to put away sin is to abrogate it it is to bind it up in a bundle to seal it up in a bag to cast it behind him as cancelled obligations it is to blot out the black hand-writing with the red lines of his blood drawn over it so that sin has no force no power to accuse or condemn or shut such poor souls out of heaven who have that Jesus for their Surety that made himself a sacrifice to put away sin Christ as our Surety laid down a satisfactory price not only for our good but also in our stead or room 1 Pet. 3. 18. Christ also hath suffered for sin the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God What the unjust sinner should have suffered that the just Christ suffered for him 1 Cor. 5. 21. He was made sin for us that is an offering a sacrifice in our stead for the expiation of our sins Christ was made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. Now Christ's becoming a curse for us stands in this That whereas we are all accursed by the sentence of the Law because of sin he now comes into our room and stands under the stroke of that curse which of right belongs to us so that it lies not now any longer on the backs of poor sinners but on him for them and in their stead therefore he is called a Surety Heb. 7. 22. The Surety stands in the room of a debtor malefactor or him that is any way obnoxious to the Law Such is Adam and all his posterity We are by the doom of the Law evil doers
life against the Lord or against the Light Conviction of a mans own Conscience Before I come to the Resolution of this Question I shall promise a few things that may clear my way 1. First When mens hearts are sincere with God when they don't indulge cherrish or keep up any known Trangression in their hearts or lives against the Lord. They may on very good grounds plead an interest in God in Christ and in the Covenant of Grace though their Corruptions prevail against them and too frequently worst them and lead them Captive as is most evident in these speciâ—l Scriptures 2 Sam. 23. 5. Psal 65. 3. Rom. 7. 23. 25. Isa 6â— 16 17 19. Jer. 14. 7 8 9. Hos 14. 1 2 3 4 8. But now when any mans heart doth condemn him for dealing deceitfully and guilefully with God in this or that or the other particular or for connivings or winking at any known Transgression that is kept up either in his heart or life against the Lord and against the light of his own Conscience which he will not let go nor in good earnest use the means whereby it should be subdued and mortified It is inot to be expected that such a person can come to any clearness or satisfaction about their interest in Christ and the Covenant of Grace and their right to the great things of that other world when a person will dally with sin and will be playing with snares and baits allow a secret liberty in his heart to sin conniving at many workings of it and not setting upon Mortification with earnest endeavours though they are convinced yet they are not perswaded to arise with all their might against the Lords Enemies but do his work negligently which is an accursed thing and for this God caâ—â—s such a person into sore straits and lets him wander in the dark without any sight sense or assurance of their gracious estate or interest in Christ c. The Isâ—acâ—â—â—es should perfectly have rooted out the Canaanites but because they did it but by halfs and did not engage all their power and strength against them therefore God left them to be as Thorns in their eyes and as Goads in their sides So when men have taken Christ's Press-money and are engaged to fight with all their might against those Rebels that war against him in their hearts ways and walkings and to persue the Victory to the utmost till their Spiritual Enemies lye dead at their feet and yet they do but trifle and make slender opposition against their sins This provokes God to stand afar off and to hide his Reconciled Face from them 'T is true when men are really in Christ they ought not to question their state in him but yet a guilty Conscience will be clamorous and full of objections and God will not speak peace unto it till it be humbled at his foot God will make his dearest Children know that it is a bitter thing to be bold with sin Now before I lay down the Remedies give me leave to shew you what it is to indulge sin or when a man may be said to indulge or cherish or keep up any known Transgression in his Soul against the Lord now for a clear understanding of me in this particular take me thus First To indulge sin or to cherrish it It is to make daily provision for it Rom. 13. ult it is to give the Breast to it and to feed it and nourish it as fond Parents do feed and humour the sick Child the darling Child it must have what it will and do what it will it must not be crost Now when men ordinarily habitually commonly are studious and laborious to make provision for sin then sin is indulged by them But Secondly When sin is commonly habitually sweet and pleasant to the Soul when a man takes a daily pleasure and delight in sin then sin is indulged 2 Thes 2. 12. You read of them that had pleasure in Unrighteousness Isa 66. 3. And their Soul delighteth in their Abominations Prov. 2. 14. who rejoyce to do evil c. Thirdly When men commonly habitually side with sin and take up Armes in the desence of sin and in defiance of the commands of God the motions of the Spirit the checks of Conscience and the reproofs of others then sin is indulged But Fourthly When men ordinarily habitually do yeild a quiet free willing and total subjection to the Authority and commands of sin then sin is indulged that man that is wholly addicted and devoted to the service of sin that man indulges sin Now in none of these senses does any Godly man indulge any one sin in his Soul Though sin lives in him yet he doth not live in sin Every man that hath drink in him is not in drink A Child of God may slip into a sin as a Sheep may slip into the mire but he does not nor cannot wallow in sin as the Swine does in the mire nor yet keep on in a Road of sin as Sinners do Psal 139. 24. See if there be any way of Wickedness in me A course a Trade of sin is not consistent with the truth or state of grace Job 10. 7. Thou knowest that I am not Wicked He doth not say thou knowest that I am not a Sinner or thou knowest that I have not sinned No! for the best of Saints are Sinners though the worst and weakest of Saints are not wicked Every real Christian is a renewed Christian every renewed Christian takes his denomination from his renovation and not from the remainers of Corruptions in him and therefore such a one may well look God in the Face and say Lord thou knowest that I am not Wicked Weaknesses are chargeable upon me but Wickednesses are not chargeable upon me And certainly that man gives a strong demonstration of his own uprightness who dares appeal to God himself that he is not wicked That no Godly man does or can indulge himself in any course or way or Trade of sin may be thus made evident First He sins not with allowance when he does evil he disallows of the evil he does Rom. 7. 15. For that which I do I allow not A Christian is sometimes wherried and whirled away by sin before he is a ware or hath time to consider of it See Psal 119. 1. 3. 1 Joh. 3. 9. Prov. 16. 12. Secondly A Godly man hates all known sin Psal 119. 128. I hate every false way True hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the whole kind That contrariety to sin which is in a real Christian springs from an inward gracious nature or principle and so is to the whole species or kind of sin and is irreconcileable to any sin whatsoever As contrarieties of nature are to the whole kind as light is contrary to darkness and fire to all water so this contrariety to all sin arising from the inward man is universal to all sin He who hates a Toad because it
7. 15. 19. 21. 23. Isa 30. 22. 14. Hos 8. When the will stands upon such terms of defiance with all sin as that it will never enter into a league of friendship with any sin then is the Soul turned from every sin Thirdly In the judgments turning away from all sin by disapproving disallowing and condemning all sin Rom. 7. 15. O! saith the judgment of a Christian sin is the greatest evil in all the world 't is the only thing God abhors and that brought Jesus Christ to the Cross that damns Souls that shuts Heaven and that has laid the foundations of Hell O! It is the pricking thorn in my eye the deadly arrow in my side the two-edged-sword that hath wounded my Conscience and slain my comforts and separated between God and my Soul O! sin is that which hath hindred my prayers and imbittered my mercies and put a sting into all my crosses and therefore I can't but disapprove of it and disallow of it and condemn it to death yea to Hell from whence it came Fourthly In the purpose and resolution of the soul the soul sincerely purposing and resolving never willingly wilfully or wickedly to transgress any more Psal 17. 3. The general purpose and resolution of my heart is not to transgress though particular failings may attend me yet my resolutions and purposes are firmly set against doing evil Psal 39. 1. The true Penitent holds up his purposes and resolutions to keep off from sin and to keep close with God though he be not able in every thing and at all times to make good his purposes and resolutions c. But Fifthly In the earnest and unfeigned desires and careful endeavours of the Soul to abandon all sin to forsake all sin and to be rid of all sin Rom. 7. 22 23. You know when a prudent tender indulgent Father sees hs Child to fail and come short in that which he enjoyns him to do yet knowing that his desires and endeavours is to please him and serve him he will not be harsh rigid sowre or severe towards him but will spare him and exercise much tenderness and indulgence towards him and will God will God whose mercies reach above the Heavens and whose compassions are infinite and whose love is like himself carry it worse towards his Children then men do carry it towards theirs Surely no. God's Fatherly indulgence accepts of the will for the work Heb. 13. 18. 2 Cor. 8. 12. Certainly a sick man is not more desirous to be rid of all his Diseases nor a Prisoner to be freed from all his bolts and chains than the true Penitent is desirous to be rid of all his sins Sixthly and lastly In the common and ordinary declining shunning and avoyding of all known occasions of sin yea and all temptations provocations inducements and enticements to sin c. That royal Law 1 Thes 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil is a Law that is very precious in a Penitent mans eye and commonly lyes warm upon a Penitent mans heart so that take him in his ordinary course and you shall find him very ready to shun and be shie of the very appearance of sin of the very shews and shadows of sin Job made a Covenant with his eyes Job 31. 1. and Joseph would not hearken to his bold tempting Mistriss to lye by her or to be with her Gen. 39. 10. And David when himself would not sit with Vain persons Psal 26. 3 4 5. Now a true penitential turning from all sins lyes in these six things and therefore you had need look about you for if there be any one way of wickedness wherein you walk and which you are resolved you will not forsake you are no true penitents and you will certainly lose your souls and be miserable for ever This Opinion that is now under-consideration is an opinion that will exceedingly deject many precious Christians and cause them greatly to hang down their heads especially in four days 1. In the day of common calamity 2. In the day of personal affliction 3. In the day of death 4. In the great day of account First In a day of common Calamity when the Sword is drunk with the blood of the slain or when the raging Pestilence lays thousands in heap upon heap or when Fevours Agues Gripes and other Diseases carry hundreds every week to their long homes O! now the remembrance of a mans beloved sins his bosom sins his darling sins if a Saint had any such sins will be very apt to fill his soul with fears dreads and perplexities Surely now God will meet with me now God will avenge himself on me for my beloved sins my bosom sins my darling sins O! how righteous a thing is it with God because of my beloved lusts to sweep me away by these sweeping Judgments that are abroad in the Earth On the contrary how sweet and comfortable a thing is it when in a day of common Calamity a Christian can appeal to God and appeal to Conscience that though he has many weaknesses and infirmities that hang upon him that yet he has no beloved sin no bosom sin no darling sin that either God or Conscience can charge upon him O! such a consideration as this may be as life from the dead to a gracious Christian in the midst of all the common Calamities that do's surround him and that hourly threaten him Secondly In the day of personal Affections when the smarting Rod is upon him and God writes bitter things against him when the Hand of the Almighty has toucht him in his Name Estate Relations c. O! now the remembrance of a mans beloved sins his bosom sins his darling sins if a Saint had any such sins will be as the hand writing upon the Wall Dan. 5. 5 6. that will make his counteance to be changed his thoughts to be troubled his joynts to be loosed and his knees to be dashed one against another O! now a Christian will be ready to conclude O! 't is my beloved sins my bosom sins my darling sins that has caused God to put this bitter cup into my hand and that has provokt him to give me gall and wormwood to drink Lam. 3. 19. Whereas on the contrary when a man under all his personal tryals though they are many and great yet can lift up his head and appeal to God and Conscience that though he has many sinful weaknesses and infirmities hanging upon him yet neither God nor Conscience can charge upon him any beloved sins any bosom sins any darling sins O! such a consideration as this will help a man to bare up bravely sweetly cheerfully patiently and contentedly under the heaviest hand of God as is evident in that great instance of Job who so sorely afflicted as Job and yet no beloved sin no bosom sin no darling sin being chargable upon him by God or Conscience Job 10. 7. chap. 31. 33. How bravely sweetly and Christianly do's Job bear up under
those sad changes and dreadful providences that would have broke a thousand of such mens hearts upon whom God and Conscience could charge beloved sins bosom sins darling sins But Thirdly In the day of death Death is the King of terrors as Job speaks and the terror of Kings as the Philosopher speaks Oh how terrible will this King of terrors be to that man upon whom God and Conscience can charge beloved sins bosom sins darling sins This is certain when a wicked man comes to die all the sins that ever he committed don 't so grieve him and terrifie him so sad him and sink him and raise such horrors and terrors in him and put him into such a hell on this side Hell as his beloved sins his bosom sins his darling sins and had Saints their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins Ah what a Hell of horror and terror would these sins raise in their souls when they come to lye upon a dying Bed But now when a Child of God shall lye upon a dying Bed and shall be able to say Lord thou knowest and Conscience thou knowest that though I have had many and great failings yet there are no beloved sins no bosom sins no darling sins that are chargeable upon me Lord thou knowest and Conscience thou knowest 1. That there is no known sin that I don't hate and abhor 2. That there is no known sin that I don't combat and conflict with 3. That there is no known sin that I don't grieve and mourn over 4. That there is no known sin that I would not presently freely willingly and heartily be rid of 5. That there is no known sin that I don 't in some weak measure endeavour in the use of holy means to be delivered from 6. That there is no known sin the effectual subduing and mortifying of which would not administer matter of the greatest joy and comfort to me Now when God and Conscience shall acquit a man upon a dying Bed of beloved sins of bosom sins of darling sins who can express the joy the comfort the peace the support that such an acquittance will fill a man with Fourthly In the day of Account the vâ—ry thoughts of which day too many is more terrible than Death it self such Christians as are Captivated under the power of this opinion viz. That the Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins such cannot but greatly fear and tremble to appear before the Tribunal of God O! saith such poor hearts how shall we be able to answer for beloved sins our bosom sins our darling sins as for infirmities weaknesses and follies that has attended us we can plead with God and tell him Lord when Grace has been weak Corruptions strong Temptations great and thy Spirit withdrawn and we off from our Watch we have been worsted and captivated But what shall we say as to our beloved sins our bosom sins our darling sins O these fill us with terror and horror and how shall we be able to hold up our heads before the Lord when he shall reckon with us for these sins But now when a poor Child of God thinks of the day of Account and is able through grace to say Lord though we cannot clear our selves of infirmities and many sinful weaknesses yet we can comfortably appeal in thee and our Consciences that we have no beloved sins no bosom sins no darling sins O with what comfort confidence and boldness will such poor hearts hold up their heads in the day of Account when a Christian can plead those six things before a Judgment seat that he pleaded in the third particular when he lay upon a dying Bed how will his fears vanish and how will his hopes and and hopes and heart revive and how comfortably and boldly will he stand before a Judgment-Seat But Ninethly This opinion that is now under consideration has a very great tendancy to discourage and deaden the hearts of Christians to the most noble and spiritual duties of Religion viz. 1. Praising of God 2. Delighting in God 3. Rejoycing in God 4. Admiring of God 5. Taking full content and satisfaction in God 6. Witnessing for God his Truth his Ordinances and ways 7. To self-tryal and self-examination 8. To the making of their Calling and Election sure I cannot see with what comfort confidence or courage such souls can apply themselves to the Eight duties last mentioned who lye under the power of this opinion viz. That Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins But now when a Christian is clear and he can clear himself as every sincere Christian can of beloved sins of bosom sins of darling sins how is he upon the advantage ground to fall in roundly with all the Eight duties last mentioned But Tenthly and lastly This opinion that is now under consideration has a very great tendency to discourage multitudes of Christians from coming to the Lords Table I would willingly know with what comfort with what confidence with what hope with what expectation of good from God or of good from the Ordinance can such Souls draw near to the Lords Table who lye under the power of this opinion or perswasion that they carry about with them their bosom sins their beloved sins their darling sins How can such souls expect that God should meet with them in the Ordinance and bless the Ordinance to them How can such souls expect that God should make that great Ordinance to be strengthening comforting refreshing establishing and enriching unto them How can such souls expect that in that Ordinance God should Seal up to them his Eternal Loves their Interest in Christ their Right to the Covenant their Title to Heaven and the Remission of their sins who bring to his Table their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins But now when the People of God draw near to the Table of the Lord and can appeal to God that though they have many sinful failings and infirmities hanging upon them yet they have no beloved sins no bosom sins no darling sins that they carry about with them How comfortably and confidently may they expect that God will make that great Ordinance a blessing to them and that in time all those glorious ends for which that Ordinance was appointed shall be accomplished in them and upon them Now by these ten Arguments you may see the weakness and falseness yea the dangerous nature of that opinion that many worthy men have so long Preacht Maintained and Printed to the World viz. That the Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins neither do I wonder that they should be so sadly out in this particular when I consider how apt men are to receive things by Tradition without bringing of things to a strict examination and when I consider what strange definitions of Faith many famous worthy men have given both in their writings and Preachings and when I consider what a
Old Age to Covetousness and Frowardness Common experience tells us that many times Wantonness is the Sinners darling in the time of his youth and Worldliness his darling in the time of his age and without controversie Christians distinct and peculiar Ages may more strongly incline them to this or that Sin rather than any other or 5thly It may arise from that distinct and particular way of Breeding and Education which he has had Now to arm such Christians against their special Sins their peculiar sins whose Sins are advantaged against them either by their constitutions and complexion or else by their particular Calling or else by their outward state and condition or else by their distinct and peculiar ages or else by their particular way of Breeding and Education is my present work and business for though the raigning power of this or that special peculiar Sin be broken in a mans Conversion yet the remaining life and strength that is still left in those corruptions will by Satan be improved against the growth peace comfort and assurance of the soul Satan will strive to enter in at the same door and by the same Dalilah by which he hath betrayed and wounded the soul he will do all he can to do the soul a further mischief Satan will be still a reminding of the soul of those former sweets pleasures profits delights and contents that have come in upon the old score so that it will be a hard thing even for a Godly man to keep himself from his Iniquity from his special or peculiar Sin which the Fathers commonly call though not truly peccatum in delitiis a mans special darlin and beloved Sin Well Christians remember this once for all viz. That sound Conversion includes a noble and serious revenge upon that Sin which was once a mans beloved bosom darling Sin 2 Cor. 7. 11. Yea what clearing of your selves yea what Indignation yea what fear yea what vchement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge You see this in Cranmer who when he had subscribed with his right hand to that which was against his Conscience he afterwards as a holy revenge put that right hand into the flames so Mary Magdalen takes that hair of hers Of all Sins saith the sound Convert I am resolved to be avenged on my once beloved bosom darling Sins by which I have most dishonoured God and wronged my own precious and immortal soul and by which I have most endangered my everlasting Estate Having thus cleared up my way I shall now endeavour to lay before you some special remedies means or helps against cherishing or keeping up of any special or peculiar Sin either in heart or life against the Lord or against the light and conviction of a mans own Conscience First Cherrishing or keeping up of any special or peculiar Sin either in heart or life against the Lord or against the light and conviction of a mans own Conscience will hinder assurance these several ways First It will abate the degrees of our Graces and so make them more undiscernable Now grace rather in its degrees than in its sincerity or simple being only is that which gives the clearest evidence of a gracious estate or of a mans interest in Christ Sin lived in is like a Vermin to the Tree which destroys the fruit Grace cannot thrive in a sinful heart In some soyl Plants will not grow The cherrishing of Sin is the withering of Grace The casting of a favourable eye on any one special Sin hinders the growth of Grace If a man has a choyce Plant or Flower in his Garden and it withers and shrevils and is dying he opens the ground and looks at the root and there finds a Worm gnawing the root and this is the cause of the Flowers fading the Application is easie Secondly The cherrishing of any special peculiar Sin or the keeping up of any known transgression against the Lord and against the light of a mans own Conscience will hinder the lively actings and exercise of grace it will keep Grace at an under so that it will hardly be seen to stir or act yea it will keep Grace so down that it will hardly be heard to speak When a special or peculiar Sin is entertained it will exceedingly mar the vigorous exercises of those graces which are the evidences of a lively Faith and of a gracious state and of a mans Interest in Christ Grace is never apparent and sensible to the soul but while it is in action therefore want of action must needs cause want of assurance Habits are not felt immediately but by the freeness and facility of their acts of the very being of the soul it self nothing is felt or perceived but only its acts The fire that lyâ—th still in the flint is neither seen nor felt but when you smite it and force it into act it is easily discernable For the most part so long as a Christian hath his graces in lively action so long he is assured of them He that would be assured that this sacred fire of grace is in his heart he must blow it up and get it into a flame But Thirdly The cherrishing of any special Sin or the keeping up of any known transgression in heart or life against the Lord and against the light of a mans own Conscience so blears dimms and darkens the eye of the soul that it cannot see its own condition nor have any clear knowledge of its gracious state or of its interest in Christ c. Somtimes men in riding raise such a dust that they can neither see themselves nor their dearest Friends so as to distinguish one from another the Application is easie The Room somtimes is so full of smoak that a man cannot see the Jewels the Treasures that lyes before him so 't is here But Fourthly Cherrishing of any special or peculiar Sin or the keeping up of any known transgression against the Lord or against the light of a mans own Conscience provokes the Lord to withdraw himself his comforts and the gracious presence and assistance of his blessed Spirit without which presence and assistance the soul may search and seek long enough for assurance comfort and a sight of a mans interest in Christ before it will enjoy the one or see the other If by keeping up of any known transgression against the Lord you set the holy Spirit a mourning which alone can comfort you and assure you of your interest in Christ You may walk long enâ—ugh without comfort and assurance Lam. 1. 16. The Comforter that should relieve my Soul is far from me so in that 1 John 3. 21. It is supposed that a self-condemning heart makes void a mans Confidence before God The precious Jewel of Faith can be holden in no other place but in a pure Conscience that is the only Royal Palace wherein it must and will dwell 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding Faith and a good Conscience Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a
in one is guilty of all 2 Jam. 10. Now that ye may not mistake Aquinas nor the Scripture he cites you must remember that the whole Law is but one copulative Exod. 16. 18. Ezek. 18. 10 11 12 13. v Mark he that breaketh one Command habitually breaketh all not so actually Such as are truly Goâ—ly in respect of the habitual desires purposes bents byasses inclinations resolutions and endeavours of their Souls do keep those very commands that actually they daily break But a dispensatory Conscience keeps not any one Commandement of God he that willingly and wilfully and habitually gives himself liberty to break any one Commandement is guilty of all That is 1. Either he breaks the chain of duties and so breaks all the Law being copulative or 2. With the same disposition of heart that he willingly wilfully habitually breaks one with the same disposition of heart he is ready prest to break all The Apostles meaning in that Jam. 2. 10. is certainly this viz. That suppose a man should keep the whole Law for substance except in some one particular yet by allowing of himself in this particular thereby he manifests that he kept no precept of the Law in obedience and conscience unto God for if he did then he would be careful to keep every precept thus much the words following import and hereby he manifests that he is guilty of all Some others conceive that therefore such a one may be said to be guilty of all because by allowing of himself in any one sin thereby he lyes under that Curse which is threatned against the transgressors of the Law Dan. 27. 26. Eighthly Every Christian should carry in his heart saith another a constant and resolute purpose not to sin in any thing for Faith and the purpose of sinning can never stand together This must be understood of an habitual not actual of a constant not transient purpose But Ninethly One flaw in a Diamond saith another takes away the lustre and the price One puddle if we wallow in it will defile us One man in Law may keep Possession One piece of ward Land makes the Heir liable to the King So one sin lived in and allowed may make a man miserable for ever But Tenthly One turn may bring a man quite out of the way One act of Treason makes a Traytor Giddcon had seventy Sons but one Bastard and yet that one Bastard destroyed all the rest Judg. 8. 13. One sin as well as one Sinner lived in and allowed may destroy much good saith another Eleaventhly He that favoureth one sin though he forgoe many do's but as Ben adab recover of one disease and dye of another yea he doth but take pains to go to Hell saith another Twelfthly Satan by one Lye to our first Parents made fruitless what God himself had Preached to them immediatly before saith another Thirteenthly A man may by one short act of sin bring a long Curse upon himself and his Posterity as Ham did when he saw his Father Noah Drunk Gen. 9. 24 25. And Noah awoke from his Wine and knew what his younger Son had done unto him and he said Cursed is Canaan a Servant of Servants shall he be unto his Brethren Canaan was Hams Son Noah as Gods mouth Prophesied a Curse upon the Son for his Fathers sin Here Ham is cursed in his Son Canaan and the curse entailed not only to Canaan but to his Posterity Noah Prophesies a long series and chain of curses upon Canaan and his Children he makes the curâ—e Hereditary to the Name and Nation of the Canaanites A Servant of Servants shall he be unto his Brethren that is the vilest and basest Servant for the Hebrews express the superlative degree by such a duplication as Vanity of Vanities that is most vain a Song of Songs that is a most excellent Song So here a Servant of Servants that is the vilest the basest Servant Ah heavy and prodigious Curse upon the account of one sin But Fourteenthly Satan can be content that men should yield to God in many things provided that they will be but true to him in some one thing for he knows very well that as one dram of Poyson may poyson a man and one stab at the heart may kill a man so one sin unrepented of one sin allowed retained cherrished and practised will certainly damn a man But Fifteenthly Though all the parts of a mans body be sound save only one that one Diseased and Ulcerous part may be deadly to thee for all the sound members cannot preserve thy life but that one diseased and Ulcerous member will hasten thy death So one sin allowed indulged and lived in will prove killing and damning to thee Sixteenthly Observe saith another that an unmortified sin allowed and wilfully retained will eat out all appearance of Vertue and Piety Herods high esteem of John and his Ministry and his reverencing of him and observing of him and his forward performance of many good things are all given over and laid aside at the instance and command of his master-master-sin his reigningsin Johns head must go for it if he won't let Herod enjoy his Herodias quietly But Seventeenthly Some will leave all their sins but one Jacob would let all his Sons go but Benjamin Satan can hold a man fast enough by one sin that he allows and lives in as the Fowler can hold the Bird fast enough by one wing or by one claw Eighteenthly Holy Policarp in the time of the fourth Persecution when he was commanded but to swear one Oath he made this Answer Four-score and six years have I endeavoured to do God Service and all this while he never hurt me how then can I speak evil of so good a Lord and Master who hath thus long preserved me I am a Christian and cannot swear let Heathens and Infidels swear if they will I cannot do it were it to the saving of my life Nineteenthly A willing and a wilfull keeping up either in heart or life any known transgression against the Lord is a breach of the holy Law of God it is a fighting against the honour an glory of God and is a reproach to the Eye of God the Omnipresence of God Twentiethly The keeping up of any known transgression against the Lord may endanger the souls of others and may be found a fighting against all the crys prayers tears promises Vows and Covenants that thou hast made to God when thou hast been upon a sick bed or in eminent dangers or near death or else when thou hast been in solemn seeking of the Lord either alone or with others these things should be frequently and seriously thought of by such poor souls as are entangled by any Lust Twenty-one The keeping up of any known transgression against the Lord either in heart or life is a high tempting of Satan to tempt the soul it will also greatly unfit the soul for all sorts of duties and services that he either owes to God
in a Ship may sink it and one Thief may rob a man of all he has in the world A man may escape many gross sins and yet by living in the allowance of some one sin be deprived of the glory of Heaven for ever Moses came within the sight of Canaan but for one sin not sanctifying Gods Name he was shut out and no less will it be to any man that for living in any one sin shall be for ever shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven not but that there may be some remainders of sin and yet the heart taken off from every sin but if there be any secret closing with any one way of sin all the profession of Godliness and leaving all other sins will be to no purpose nor ever bring a man to happiness Twenty-seaven As the Philosopher saith a Cup or some such thing that hath a hole in it is no Cup it will hold nothing and therefore cannot perform the use of a cup though it have but one hole in it So if the heart have but one hole in it if it retain the Devil but in one thing if it make choyce but of any one sin to lie and wallow in and tumble in it doth evacuate all the other good by the entertainment of that one sin the whole box of Oyntment will be spoyled by the dropping of that one Flye into it By the Laws of our Kingdom a man can never have a true Possession till he have voided all And in the state of grace no man can have a full interest in Christ till all sin that is all reigning domineering sin be rooted out Thus you see the concurrant judgments of our most famous Divines against mens allowing indulging or retaining any one known sin against their light and Consciences but that these Sayings of theirs may lay in more weight and power upon every poor soul that is intangled with any base Lusts be pleased seriously and frequently to consider of these following particulars First 'T is to no purpose for a man to turn from some sins if he do's not turn from all his sins Jam. 1. 26. If any man seem to be Religious and bridle not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is in vain This at first sight may seem to be a hard saying that for one fault for one fault in the tongue all a mans Religion should be counted vain and yet this you see the Holy-Ghost does peremptorily conclude Let a man make never so glorious a profession of Religion yet if he gives himself liberty to live in the practise of any known sin yea though it be but in a sin of the tongue his Religion is in vain and that one sin will separate him from God for ever If a Wife be never so officious to her Husband in many things yet if she entertains any other Lover into his Bed besides himself it will for ever alienate his affections from her and make an everlasting separation between them The Application is easie to turn from one sin to another is but to be tossed from one hand of the Devil to another it is but with Benhadad to recover of one disease and die of another It is but to take pains to go to Hell If a Ship spring three leaks and only two be stopped the third will sink the Ship or if a man have two grievous wounds in his body and takes order only to cure one that which is neglected will certainly kill him 'T is so here Herod Judas and Saul with the Scribes and Pharisees have for many hundred years experienced this truth But Secondly Partial obedience is indeed no obedience it is only universal obedience that is true obedience Exod. 24. 7. All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient They only are indeed obedient who have a care to do all that is commanded For to obey is to do that which is commanded because it is commanded though the thing done be commanded yet if it be not therefore done because it is commanded it is no obedience Now if this be the nature of obedience then where obedience is indeed it is not partial but universal for he that doth any one thing that is commanded because it is commanded he will be carefull to doe every thing that is commanded there being the same reason for all They that are only for a partial obedience they do break a sunder the bond and reason of all obedience for all obedience is to be founded upon the Authority and will of God because â—od who hath Authority over all his Creatures doth will and command us to obey his voyce to walk in his Statutes for this very reason do we stand bound to obey him and if we do obey him upon this reason then must we walk in all his Statutes for so hath he commanded us and if we will not come up to this but will walk in what Statutes of his we please then do we renounce his Will as the obliging reason of our obedience and do set up our own liking and pleasure as the reason thereof God has so connexed the duties of his Law one to another that if there be not a conscientious care to walk according to all that the Law requires a man becomes a transgressor of the whole Law according to that of Saint James chap. 2. 10. whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all the bond of all is broken the Authority of all is slighted and that evil disposition that sinful frame of heart that works a man to venture upon the breach of one command would make him venture upon the breach of any command were it not for some infirmity of nature or because his purse will not hold out to maintain it or for shame or loss or because of the eyes of Friends or the sword of the Magistrate or for some other sinister respeâ—ts He that gives himself liberty to live in the breach of any one command of God is qualified with a disposition of heart to break them all Every single sin contains vertually all sin in it He that allows himself a liberty to live in the breach of any one particular Law of God he casts contempt and scorn upon the Authority that made the whole Law and upon this account breaks it all And the Apostle gives the reason of it in câ—â—r 11. For he that said Do not commit Adultery said also Do not kâ—ll Now if thou commit no Adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law not that he is guilty of all distributively but collectively for the Law is copulative there is a chain of duties and these are all so likned one to another that you cannot break one link of the chain but you break the whole chain No man can live in the breach of any of any known command of God but he wrongs every command of God he hath no real
regard to any of the Commandements of God that hath not a regard to all the Commandements of God There is one and the same Law-giver in respect of all the Commandements he that gave one command gave also another therefore he that observes one Commandement in obedience unto God whose Commandement it is he will observe all because all are his Commandements and he that slights one Commandement is guilty of all because he doth contemn the Authority of him that gave them all Even in those Commandements which he doth observe he hath no respect to the Will and Authority of him that gave them therefore as Calvin doth well observe upon Jam. 2. 10 11. That there is no Obedience towards God where there is not an uniform endeavour to please God as well in one thing as in another Thirdly Partial obedience tends to plain Atheisme for by the same reason that you slight the Will of God in any Commandement by the same reason you may despise his Will in every Commandement for every Commandement of God is his Will and it is holy spiritual just and good Rom. 7. 12 14. and contrary to our sinful Lusts and if this be the reason why such and such Commandements of God wont down with you then by the same reason none of them must be of Authority with you Fourthly God requires universal Obedience Deut. 5. 33. c. chap. 10. 12. and chap. 11. 21 22 ver c. Jer. 7. 23. Walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you Math. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things that I have Commanded you c. Fifthly Partial Obedience is an audacious charge against God himself as to his Wisdom or Power or Goodness for those Statutes of God which you will not come up unto either they are as Righteous as the rest and as Holy as the rest and as Spiritual as the rest and as Good as the rest or they are not If they be as holy spiritual just righteous and good as the rest why should you not walk in them as well as in the rest To say they are not as holy spiritual righteous c. as the rest O what a Blasphemous charge is this against God himself in prescribing unto him any thing that is not righteous and good c. and likewise in making his will which is the rule of all righteousness and goodness to be partly righteous and partly unrighteous to be partly good and partly bad Sixthly God delights in universal Obedience and in those that perform it Deut. 5. 29. O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandements always upon this account Abraham is called the friend of God in Scripture three times Isa 41. 8. 2 Chron. 20. 7. James 2. 3. and upon the very same account God called David A man after his own heart Act. 13. 22. I have found David the Son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my Will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All my wills to note the universality and sincerity of his Obedience Seventhly There is not any one Statute of God but it is good and for our good ergo we should walk in all his Statutes Deut. 5. 25. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you that you may live and that it may be well with you what one path hath the Lord commanded us to walk in but as it concerns his own glory so likewise it concerns our good Is it not good for us to love the Lord and to set him up as the object of our fear and to act faith on him and to worship him in spirit and in truth and to be tender of his glory and to sanctifie his day and to keep off from sin and to keep close to his ways But Eighthly Universal Obedience is the condition upon which the promise of mercy and salvation runs Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all his Statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die Ninethly Our hearts must be perfect with the Lord our God Deut. 18. 13. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God and Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect Now how can our hearts be said to be perfect with God if we do prevaricate with him if in some things we obey him and in other things we will not obey him if we walk in some of his Statutes but will not walk in all his Statutes if in some part we will be his Servants and in other part of our lives we will be the Servants of sin But Tenthly If the heart be found and up-right it will yeeld entire and universal Obedience Psal 119. 80. Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I may not be a shamed and v. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandements by these verses compared together it appears that then the heart is sound and sincere when a man has respect unto all Gods Commandements without a universal Obedience a man can never have that hope which maketh not ashamed But Eleventhly Either we must endeavour to walk in all the Statutes of God or else we must find some dispensation or toleration from God to free us and excuse us and hold us indemnified though we do not walk in all of them Now what one Commandement is there from Obedience whereunto God excuseth any man or will not punish him for the neglect of obedience unto it The Apostle saith That whosoever shall keep the whole Law â—nd yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. If he prevaricates with God as to any one particular Commandement of his his heart is naught he is guilty of all he hath really no regard of any of the rest of Gods Laws But 12thly The precious Saints and Servants of God whose examples are recorded and set forth for our imitation they have been very careful to perform universal Obedience will you see it in Abraham who was ready to comply with God in all his Royal Commands When God commanded him to leave his Country and his Fathers House he did it Gen. 12. When God Commanded him to be Circumcised though it were both shameful and painful he submitted unto it Gen. 17. When God commanded him to send away his Son Ishmael though when Sarah speak to him about it the things feemed very grievious unto him yet as soon as he saw it to be the Will of God he was Obedient unto it Gen. 21. When God commanded him to Sacrifice his Son Isaac his only Son the Son of his Old age the Son of the Promise the Son of his â—elight yea that Son from whom was to proceed that Jesus in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed and
though all this might seem to cross both Nature and Grace both Reason and Religion yet Abraham was willing to obey God in this also and to do what he commanded Gen. 22. so David was a man after Gods own heart which fulfilled all his Wills as the original runs in Acts 13. 22. And it is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth that they walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord c. Luk. 1. 6. 1 Thes 2. 10. Ye are Witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe 13thly Universal Obedience speaks out the strength of our love to Christ and the reality of our friendship with Christ Joh. 15. 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you That Child shews most love to his Father that observes all his precepts and that Servant shews most love to his Master that observes all his Masters commands and that Wife shews most love to her Husband that observes all he requires in the Lord So here c. 14thly Universal Obedience will give most peace rest quiet and comfort to the Conscience Such a Christian will be as an eye that hath no Mote to trouble it as a Kingdom that hath no Rebel to annoy it as a Ship that hath no leak to disturb it Psal 119. 165. Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing shall offend them But 15thly Mans holiness must be conformable to Gods Holiness Ephe. 5. 1 2. Be ye followers of God as dear Children Math. 5. 48. Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect Now God is Righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works and so ought all to desire and endeavour to be that would be saved 1 Pet. 1. 15. As he who hath called you is Holy so be ye also holy in all manner of Conversation v. 16. because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy But 16thly The holiness of a Christian must be conformable to the holiness of Christ Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. Now Christ was holy in all things It behoveth us said he to fulfill all Righteousness And this should be the care of every one that professeth himself to be Christs to endeavour to be holy as Christ was holy 1 John 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself to walk even as he walked But 17thly Servants must obey their earthly Masters not in some things only but in all things to wit that are just and lawful Tit. 2. 9. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Masters and to please them well in all things What Master will be content that his Servant should chuse how far forth he will observe and do those things which he doth require of him much less may we think that such arbitrary and partial performances will please that God who is our Heavenly Master 18thly The promises of mercy both spiritual and temporal are made over to universal obedience 1 King 6. 12 13. Deut. 28. 1 2 3 Ezek. 18. 21 22 27 28. turn to all these promises and dilate on them c. 19thly One sin never goes alone as you may see in the falls of Adam and Eve Lot Abraham Noah Jacob Joseph Job David Solomon Peter Ahab Judas Jeroboam one sin will make way for more as one little Thief can open the door to let in many great ones Satan will be sure to nest himself to lodge himself in the least sins as Birds nest lodge themselves in the smallest branches of the Tree and there he will do all he can to hatch all manner of wickedness A little wedge makes way for a greater so do little sins make way for greater 20. The reasons of turning from sin are universally binding to a gracious soul There are the same reasons and grounds for a penitent man's turning from every sin as there is for his turning from any one sin do you turn from this or that sin because the Lord hath forbid it why upon the same ground you must turn from every sin for God has forbid every sin as well as this or that particular sin there is the same Authority forbidding or commanding in all and if the Authority of God awes a man from one sin it will awe him from all c. But 21stly One sin allowed and lived in will keep Christ and the Soul a-sunder As one Rebel one Traytor hid and kept in the House will keep a Prince and his Subject a-sunder or as one stone in the Pipe will keep the water and the Cistern a-sunder So here But 22dly One sin allowed and lived in will unfit a person for suffering as one cut or one shot in the shoulder may hinder a man from bearing a burden will he ever lay down his life for Christ that can't that won't lay down a Lust for Christ But 23dly One sin allowed and lived in is sufficient to deprive a man for ever of the greatest good One sin allowed and wallowed in will as certainly deprive a man ōf the blessed Vision of God and of all the treasures pleasures and delights that be at God's right hand as a thousand One sin stript the fallen Angels of all their glory and one sin stript our first Parents of all their dignity and excellency Gen. 3. 4 5. One flye in the box of prccious Oyntment spoyls the whole box One Thief may Rob a man of all his treasure one Disease may deprive a man of all his health and one drop of Poyson will spoyl the whole glass of Wine and so one Sin allowed and lived in will make a man miserable for ever One Mill stone will sink a man to the bottom of the Sea as well as a hundred 't is so here But 24thly One Sin allowed and lived in will eat out all peace of Conscience as one string that jars Will spoyl the sweetest Musick so one sin countenanced and lived in will spoyl the musick of Conscience One Pyrate may Rob a man of all he has in this world But 25thly and lastly The Sinner would have God to forgive him not only some of his sins but all his sins and therefore 't is but just and equal that he should turn from all his sins If God be so faithful and just to forgive us all our sins we must be so faithful and just as to turn from all our sins The Plaister must be as broad as the Sore and the Tent as long and as deep as the Wound It argues horrid Hypocrisie damnable folly and wonderful impudency for a man to beg the pardon of those very sins that he is resolved never to forsake c. Object But it is impossible for any man on Earth to walk in all God's Statutes to obey all his Commands to do his will in all things to walk according to the full bredth of Gods Royal Law Sol. I Answer there is a two-fold walking in all the
Statutes of God there is a two-fold Obedience to all the Royal Commands of God First One is legal when all is done that God requireth and all is done as God requireth when there is not one path of duty but we do walk in it perfectly and continually thus no man on Earth doth or can walk in all God's Statutes or fully do what he Commandeth For in many things we offend all Jam. 3. 2. So Eccles 7. 20. There is not a just man upon the Earth that doth good and sinneth not 1 King 8. 46. For there is no man that sinneth not Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Job 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one 1 Joh. 1. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Secondly Another is Evangelical which is such a walking in all the Statutes of God and such a keeping of all the Commands of God as is in Christ accepted of and accounted of as if we did keep them all this walking in all God's Statutes and keeping of all his Commandements and doing of them all is not only possible but it is also actual in every Believer in every sincere Christian and it consists in these particulars First In the Approbation of all the Statutes and Commandements of God Rom. 7. 12. The Commandement is holy and just and good ver 16. I consent unto the Law that it is good there is both assent and consent Psal 119. 128. I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right A sincere Christian approves of all Divine Commands though he can't perfectly keep all Divine Commands But Secondly It consists in a Conscientious submission unto the Authority of all the Statutes of God Every Command of God hath an Authority within his heart and over his heart Psal 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word A sincere Christian stands in awe of every known Command of God and hath a spiritual regaâ—d unto them all Psal 119. 6. I have respect unto all thy Commandements But Thirdly It consists in a cordial willingness and a cordial desire to walk in all the Statutes of God and to obey all the Commands of God Rom. 7 18. For to Will is present with me Psal 119. 5. O! that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes ver 8. I will keep thy Statutes But Fourthly It consists in a sweet complacency in all Gods Commands Psal 119. 47. I will delight my self in thy Commandement which I have loved Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But Fifthly He who obeys sincerely obeys universally though not in regard of practice which is impossible yet in regard of affection he loves all the Commands of God yea he dearly loves those very Commands of God that he cannot obey by reason of the infirmity of the flesh by reason of that body of sin and death that he bears about with him ponder upon that Psal 119. 97. O how I love thy Law Such a pang of love he felt as could not otherwise be vented but by this pathetical exclamation O how I love thy Law ver 113 163 127 159 167. ponder upon all these verses But Sixthly A sincere Christian obeys all the Commands of God he is universal in his obedience in respect of valuation or esteem he highly values all the Commands of God he highly prizes all the Commands of God as you may clearly see by comparing these Scriptures together Psal 119. 72 127 128. Psal 19. 8 9 10 11. Job 23. 12. But Seventhly A sincere Christian is universal in his Obedience in respect of his purpose and resolution he purposes and resolves by Divine assistance to obey all to keep all Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and will pâ—rform it that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments Psal 17. 3. I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress But Eighthly A sincere Christian is universal in his Obedience In respect of his inclination he has an habitual inclination in him to keep all the Commands of God 1 King 8. 57 58. 2 Chron. 30. 17 18 19 20. Psal 119. 112. I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes always oven to the end But Ninethly and lastly Their Evangelical keeping of all the commands of God consists in their sincere endeavour to keep them all they put out themselves in all the ways and parts of obedience they do not willingly and wittingly slight or neglect any Commandement but are striving to conform themselves thereunto as a Dutiful Son doth all his Fathers commands at least in point of endeavour So your sincere Christians make Conscience of keeping all the Commands of God in respect of endeavours Psal 119. 59. I turned my feet unto thy Testimonies God esteems of Evangelical Obedience as perfect obedience Zacharias had his failings he did hesitate through unbelief for which he was struck dumb yet the Text tells you That he walked in all the Commandements of the Lord blameless Luk. 1. 6. Because he did cordially desire and endeavour to obey God in all things Evangelical Obedience is true for the essence though not perfect for the degree A Child of God obeys all the Commands of God in respect of his sincere desires purposes resolutions and endeavours and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and compleat obedience This is the glory of the Covenant of Grace that God accepts and esteems of sincere obedience as perfect obedience Such who sincerely endeavour to keep the whole Law of God they do keep the whole Law of God in an Evangelical sense though not in a legal sense A sincere Christian is for the first Table as well as the second and the second as well as the first he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second as Hypocrites do neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first as prophane men do O Christians for your support and comfort know that when your desires and endeavours are to do the Will of God entirely as well in one thing as another God will graciously pardon your failings and pass by your imperfections He will spare you as a man spareth his Son that serveth him Mal. 3. 17. Though a Father see his Son to fail and come short in many things which he enjoyns him to do yet knowing that his desires and endeavours are to serve him and please him to the full he will not be rigid and severe with him but will be indulgent to him and will spare him and pitty him and shew all love and kindness to him The Application is easie c. The second Question or case is this viz What is that Faith that gives a man an interest in Christ and in all those blessed benefits and favours that comes by Christ or whether that person that experiences the following particulars may not safely groundedly and
judicial Tryal in the great day except it be in a way of absolution in order to the magnifying of their pardon God has long since blotted out as a thick Cloud Isa 44. 22. the transgressions of his people and as a Cloud their sins Now we know that the clouds which are driven away by the winds appear no more nor the Mist which is dryed up by the Sun appears no more other Clouds and other Mists may arise but not they which are driven away and dryed up Thus the Sins of the Saints being forgiven they shall no more return upon them they shall never more be objected against them Further The Lord saith Though your sins be as Scarlet Isa 1. 18. they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll Pardon makes such a clear riddance of sin that it is as if it had never been the Scarlet Sinner is as white as Snow Snow newly fallen from the Skye which was never sullied The Crimson Sinner is as Wool Wool which never received the least tincture in the Dye-fat you know Scarlet and Crimson are double and deep dyes dyes in grain yet if the Cloath dyed therewith be as the Wooll before it was dyed and if it be as white as Snow what is become of those dyes are they any more is not the Cloath as if it had not been dyed at all even so though our sins by reiterating them by long lying in them have made deep impressions upon us yet by Gods discharge of them we are as if we had never committed them Again The Psalmist pronounceth him blessed whose Psal 32. 1. sin is covered A thing covered is not seen so sin forgiven is before God as not seen The same Psalmist pronounceth him blessed to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Psal 32. 2. Now a sin not imputed is as not committed The Prophet Jeremiah tells us That the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found Now is not that fully Jer. 50. 20. discharged which shall never be found never appear never be remembred never be mentioned Thus by the many Metaphors used in Scripture to set out forgiveness of sin pardon of sin you plainly and evidently see that Jer. 31. 34. Ezek. 18. 22. God's discharge is free and full and therefore he will never charge their sins upon them in the great day But Some may object and say that the Scripture saith that God shall bring every work into Judgment with every Eccles 12 14. secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil How then can this be that the sins of the Saints shall not be mentioned nor charged upon them in the great day I Answer This Scripture is to be understood Respective c. with a just respect to the two great parties Matth 25 3â— 33. which are to be judged Sheep and Goats Saints and Sinners Sons and Slaves Elect and Reprobate Holy and Prophane Pious and Impious Faithful and Unfaithful that is to say all the Grace the Holiness the Godliness the Good of those that are good shall be brought into the Judgment of mercy that it may be freely graciously and nobly rewarded and all the wickedness of the Wicked shall be brought into the Judgment of Condemnation that â—t may be righteously and everlastingly punished in this great day of the Lord. All Sincerity shall be discovered and rewarded and all Hypocrisie shall be disclosed and revenged In this great day all the works of the Saints shall follow them into Heaven and in this great day all the evil works of the Wicked shall hunt and pursue them into Hell In this See Wisd 2. thâ—oughâ—uâ— and cap. 5. from the first verse to the tenth great day all the hearts thoughts secrets words ways works and walkings of Wicked men shall be discovered and laid open before all the world to their everlasting shame and sorrow to their eternal amazement and astonishment And in this great day the Lord will make mention in the years of all the world of every Prayer that the Saints have made and of every Sermon that they have heard and of every Tear that they have shed and of every Fast that they have kept and of every Sigh and Groan that ever they have fetcht and of all the good words that ever they have spoke and of all the good works that ever they have done and of all the great things that ever they have suffered Yea in this great day they shall reap the fruit of many good Services which themselves had forgot Lord when saw we Thee Hungry and fed Thee or Thirsty and give Math 25 34. 41. Thee drink or Naked and Cloathed Thee or Sick or in Prison and Visited Thee They had done many good works and forgot them but Christ records them remembers them and rewards them before all the World In this great day a bit of Bread a cup of cold Water shall not pass without a reward In this great day the Saints shall reap a plentiful and glorious crop as the Matth 10. 24. 25. â—ecles 11. 16. fruit of that good seed that for a time hath seemed to be buried and lost In this great day of the Lord the Saints shall find that Bread which long before was cast upon the waters But my Second Reason is taken from Christs vehement protestations That they shall not come into Judgment Joh. 5. 24. Verily Verily I say unto you he that heareth my Vide Aquâ—â— 87. Supâ—l est in l. 4. Sâ—â— dist 47. Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into Condemnation but is passed from death unto life Those words shall not come into Condemnation are not rightly translated the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall not come into Judgment not into Damnation as you read it in all your English Books I will not say what should put men upon this Exposition rather than a true translation of the Original word further it is very observable that no Evangelist useth this double asseveration but St. John and he never useth it Jâ—h 1. 51 ch 3. 3 11 chap. 6. 26. 32 47 53 c. but in matters of greatest weight and importance and to shew the earnestness of his Spirit and to stir us up to better attention and to put the thing asserted out of all question and beyond all contradiction as when we would put a thing for ever out of all question we do it by a double asseveration verily verily 't is so c. Thirdly Because his not bringing their sins into Judgment doth most and best agree with many pretious and glorious expressions that we find scattered as so many shining sparkling Pearls up and down in Scripture As First With those of Gods blotting out the sins of his people I even I am he that blotteth
out thy transgressions Isa 43. 25. Isa 4â— 22. for my own sake and will not remember thy sins I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy transgressions and as a Cloud thy sins Who is this that blots our transgressions he that hath the keys of Heaven and Hell at his girdle that opens and no man shuts that shuts and no man opens he that hath the power of life and death of condemning and absolving of killing and making alive he it is that blotteth out transgressions If an Under-Officer should blot out an Indictment that perhaps might do a man no good a man might for all that be at last cast by the Judge but when the Judge or King shall blot out the Indictment with their own hand then the Indictment cannot return now this is every Believers case and happiness Secondly To those glorious expressions of Gods not remembring of their sins any more Isa 43. 25. And I Jer. 31. 34. will not remember thy sins And they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know ye the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their sin no more So the Apostle For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness Heb. 8 12. and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more And again The same Apostle saith This is the Covenant that I will make with them After those days Heb. 10. 17. That which Cicero said flatteringly of Caesar is truly affiâ—med of God Nihil oblivâ—sci solet praeter injurias he forgetâ—eth nothing but the wrongs that daily are done him by his saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more The meaning is their iniquities shall be quite forgotten I will never mention them more I will never take notice of them more they shall never hear more of them from me though God hath an Iron memory to remember the sins of the wicked yet he hath no memory to remember the sins of the righteous Thirdly His not bringing their sins into Judgment doth most and best agree with those blessed expressions of his casting their sins into the depth of the Sea and of his casting them behind his back He will turn again he Mic. 7. 19. will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Where sin is once Pardoned the Remission stands never to be repealed pardoned-sin shall never come in account against the pardoned man before God any more for so much doth this borrowed speech import If a thing were cast into a River it might be brought up again or if it were cast upon the Sea it might be discerned and taken up again but when it is cast into the depths the bottom of the Sea it can never be buoyed up again By the Metaphor in the Text the Lord would have us to know that sins pardoned shall rise no more they shall never be seen more they shall never come on the account more he will so drown their sins that they shall never come up before him the second time And so much that other Scripture imports Behold Isa 38. 17. for Peace I had great bitterness But thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back These last words are a borrowed speech taken from the manner of men who are wont to cast behind their backs such things as they have no mind to see regard or remember A gracious soul hath always his sins before his face I acknowledge Psal 51. 3. my transgressions and my sin is ever before me and therefore no wonder if the Lord cast them behind his back The Father soon forgets and casts behind his back those faults that the Child remembers and hath always in his eyes so doth the Father of Spirits Fourthly His not bringing their sins into Judgment doth best agree with that sweet and choice expression of Gods pardoning the sins of his people And I will cleanse them from all their Iniquity whereby Jer. 33. 8. they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me So in Micah Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passes by the transgressions of Mic 7. 18. the remnant of his heritage as though he would not see it but wink at it He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy The Hebrew word Nose from Nasa that is here rendered pardoned signifies a taking away when God pardons sin he takes it shier away that if it should be sought for yet it could not be found Jer â—0 20. as the Prophet speaks In those days and in that time saith the Lord the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve and these words and passeth by in the afore-cited seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnabâ—â— he passed over of Micah and the 18th according to the Hebrew Vegnober Gnal is and passeth over God passeth over the transgression of his heritage that is he takes no notice of it as a man in a deep muse or as one that hath hast of business seeth not things before him his mind being busied about other matters he neglects all to mind his business As David when he saw in Mephibosheth the feature of his friend Jonathan took no notice of his lameness or any other defect ot deformity So God beholding in his people the glorious Image of his Son winks at all their â—sa 40 1 2. faults and deformities which made Luther say Do with me what thou wilt since thou hast pardoned my sin and what is it to pardon sin but not to mention sin Fifthly His not bringing their sins into the Judgment of Discussion and Discovery doth best agree to those expressions of forgiving and covering Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered In the Original Psal 32. 1. it is in the plural Blessednesses so here is a plurality of Blessings a chain of Pearls The like expression you have in the 85th Psalm and the second v. Thou hast forgiven the Iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin Selah For the understanding of these Scriptures aright take notice that to Cover is a Metaphorical expression Covering is such an action Sic velâ—â—tur ut in judicio non râ—vel ntur which is opposed to disclosure to be covered it is to be so hid and closed as not to appear Some make the Metaphor from filthy loathsome objects
Cor. 5. 10. Heb 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4 5 to the ten Scriptures in the Margent that refer either to the general judgment or to the particular judgment that will pass upon every Christian immediately after death O blessed God Jesus Christ has by his own blood ballanced and made up all reckonings and accounts that were between thee and me and thou hast vehemently protested that thou wilt not bring me into Judgment that thou wilt blot out my Transgressions as a thick Cloud and that thou wilt remember my sins no more and that thou wilt cast them behind thy back and hurl them into the depth of the Sea and that thou wilt forgive them and cover them and not impute them to me c. This is my Plea O Lord and by this plea I shall stand Well saith the Judge of Quick and Dead I own this plea I accept of this plea I have nothing to say against this plea the plea is just safe honourable and righteous enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Secondly Every Sinner at his first believing and closing with Christ is justified in the Court of glory from all his sins both guilt and punishment Justification Act. 13. 39. doth not increase or decrease but all sin is pardoned at the first act of believing All who are justified are justified alike there is no difference amongst Believers as to their justification one is not more justified than another for every justified person hath a plenary Remission of his sins and the same Righteousness of Christ imputed but in Sanctification there is difference amongst Believers Every one is not sanctified alike for some are 1 Cor. 12. 19 1â— 14. 1 Joh 2 1. 12 13 14. stronger and higher and others are weaker and lower in grace As soon as any are made Believers in Christ all the sins which they have committed in time past and all the sins which they are guilty of as to the time present they are actually pardoned unto them in general and in particular Now that all the sins of a Believer are pardoned at once and actually unto them may be thus demonstrated First All phrases in Scripture imply thus much Esa 43. 25. I even I am he which blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Jer. 33. 8. And I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have Transgressed against me Ezek. 18. 22. All his Transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful unto their Vnrighteousness and their sins and their Iniquities I will remember no mâ—re ergo all is pardoned at once But Secondly That Remission of sins that leaves no Condemnation to the party offending is the Remission of all sins for if there were any sin remaining a man is still in 2. At a sinners first Conâ—ersion his sins are truly and perfectly pardoned 1. All as to sin already past 2. All as to the state of Remission they had a perfect right to the pardon of all their sins paâ—t present and to come though not an equal 〈◊〉 the state of Condemnation but Justification leaves no Condemnation Romans 8. 1. vers There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus and ver 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth and ver 38 39. Nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord and Joh. 5. 24. He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into Condemnation but is passed from death to life ergo all sins are pardoned at once or else they were in a state of Condemnation c. Thus you see it evident that there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus therefore there is full remission of all sins to the soul at the first act of believing But Thirdly A Believer even when he sinneth is still united to Christ Joh. 15. 1. 6. Joh. 17. 21 22 23. 1 Cor. 6. 17. And he is still Cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ which covers all his sins and dischargeth him from them so that no guilt can redound to him Isa 61. 10. Jer. 23. 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9. c. But Fourthly A Believer is not to fear Curse or Hell at all which yet he might do if all his sins were not pardoned at once but some of his new sins were for a while unpardoned c. But Fifthly Our Lord Jesus Christ by once suffering suffered for all the sins of the Elect past present and to come the infinite wrath of God the Father fell on him for all the sins of the chosen of God Isa 53. 9. Heb. 12. 14. chap. 10. 9 10 12 14. If Christ had suffered for ten thousand worlds he could have suffered no more than he did for he suffered the whole infinite wrath of God the Father the wrath of God was infinite wrath the sufferings of Christ were infinite sufferings ergo Look as Adam's sin was enough to infect a thousand worlds so our Saviours merits are sufficient to save a thousand worlds those sufferings that he suffered for sins past are sufficient to satisfie for sins present and to come That all the sins of Gods Isa 54. 5 6. people in their absolute number from first to last were laid upon Christ who in the days of his sufferings did meritoriously purchase perfect remission of all their sins to be applyed in future times to them and by them is most certain But Sixthly Repentance is not at all required for our justification where our pardon is only to be found but only Faith therefore pardon of sin is not suspended until we repent of our sins But Sevently If the Remission of all sins be not at once it is either because my faith cannot lay hold on it or because there is some hinderances in the way But a man by the hand of faith may lay hold on all the merits of Christ and the word reveals the pardon of all and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper seals and confirms the pardon of all and there is no danger nor inconvenience that attends this assertion for it puts the highest obligation imaginable upon the soul as to fear and obedience Psal 1 30. 3. v. If thou Lord shouldest mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand ver 4. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Forgiveness makes not a Christian bold with sin but fearful of sin and careful to obey as Christians find in their daily experience By this Argument it appears clear that the forgiveness of all sins is made to the soul at once at the first act of Believing But Eightly If new
sins were not pardoned until you do repent then we should be left to an uncertainty whiles our sins be pardoned or when they will be pardoned for it may be long ere we repent as you see in David who lay long under the guilt of Murther and Adultery before he repented and you know Solomon lay long under many high sins before he repented c. and it may be more long ere we do or can know that we do truly repent of our sins But Ninethly If all sins were not forgiven at once then justification is not perfect at once but is more and more increased and perfected as more and more sins are pardoned which cannot consist with the true doctrine of justification Certainly as to the state of justification there is a full and perfect remission of all sins considered under the differences of time past present and to come as in the state of Condemnation there is not any one sin pardoned so in the estate of Justification there is not any one sin but is pardoned for the state of Justification is opposite to all Condemnation and Curse and Wrath. But Tenthly All agree that as to Gods eternal decree or purpose of forgiveness all the sins of his people are forgiven God did not intend to forgive some of their sins and not the rest but an universal and full and compleat forgiveness was fixedly purposed and resolved on by God Forgiveness of sins is a gracious act or work of God for Christ sake discharging and absolving believing and repenting persons from the guilt and punishment of all their sins so that God is no longer displeased with them nor will he ever remember them any more nor call them to an account for them nor condemn them for their sins but will look on them and deal with them as if they had never sinned never offended him Thirdly Consider that at the very moment of a Believers dissolution all his sins are perfectly and fully forgiven all their sins are so fully and finally forgiven them that at the very moment of their souls going out from the body there is not one sin of omission or commission nor any aggravation or least circumstance left standing in the book of Gods remembrance and this is the true reason why there shall not be the least mention made of their sins in their tryal at Christs Tribunal because they were all pardoned fully and finally at the hour of their death all debts were then discharged all scores were then crossed so that in the great day when the Books shall be opened and perused there shall not one sin be found but all blotted out and all reckonings made even in the blood of Christ Indeed if God should pardon some sins and not others he would at the same time be a friend and an enemy and we should be at once both happy and miserable which are manifest contradictions besides God doth nothing in vain But it would be in vain for God to pardon some sins but not all for as one leak in a Ship unstopped will sink the Ship and as one sore or one disease not healed nor cured will kill the body so one sin unpardoned will destroy the soul Fourthly God looks not upon those as Sinners whose sins are pardoned Luk. 7. 37. And behold a Woman in the City which was a sinner A notorious sinner a branded sinner mark it is not said behold a Woman which is a sinner but behold a Woman which was a sinner to note that sinners converted and pardoned are no longer reputed sinners Behold a Woman which was a sinner look as a man when he is cleansed from filth is as if he had never been defiled so when a Sinner is pardoned he is in Gods account as if he had never sinned Hence those phrases in Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all fair my love and there is no spot in thee Col. 2. 10. And ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power as though he had said Because in himself he hath the Well-head of Glory and Majesty the which becometh ours in that he is also the head of his Church Col. 1. 21. And you that were somtime alienated and Enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled ver 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight that is by his Righteousness imputed and imparted Ephe. 5. 27. That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish The word present is taken from the custom of solemnizing a Marriage first the Spouse was woed and then set before her Husband adorned with his Jewels as Rebecca was with Isaacs Rev. 14. 5. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God 1. They are without fault by imputation 2. By inchoation Hence Job is said to be a perfect man Job 1. And David to be a man after Gods own heart Act. 13. 22. The forgiven party is now looked upon and received with that love and favour as if he had never offended God and as if God had never been offended by him Hos 14. 1 2 4. Isa 54. 7 8 9 10. Jer. 31. 33 34 36 37. Luk. 15. 19 20 21 22 23. Here the sins of the Prodigal are pardoned and his Father receives him with such expressions of love and familiarity as if he had never sinned against him his Father never so much as objects any one of all his high sinnings against him Hence it is that you read of such sweet kind tender loving comfortable expressions of God towards those whose sins he had pardoned Jer. 31. 16. Refrain thy voyce from weeping and thine eyes from tears verse 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child Math. 9. 2. Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee The Schools say that the remission of sins is not only oblativa mali but collativa boni a remotion of guilt but a collation of good Look as he that is legally acquitted of Theft or Murder is no more reputed a Thief or Murdeter so here Isa 50. 20. In those days and in that time saith the Lord the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve Pardoned sin is in Gods account no sin and the pardoned sinner in Gods account is no sinner as the pardoned debtor is no debtor Where God hath pardoned a man there he never looks upon that man as a siner but as a just man Pardon of sin is an utter abolition of it as it doth reflect upon the person making him guilty and obliging him actually to condemnation in this respect the pardoned man is as free as if he had never sinned Therefore the Believer
and shall for ever be There never was nor shall be time wherein God could not say of himself I am 5. It implyes That there is no succession of time with God And 6. It implyes that he is a God Every creature is temporary and mutable no creature can say Ero qui ero I will be that I will be that gives being to all things In short the reason why God nameth himself I AM THAT I Am or will be that I will be is because he is the being of beings subsisting by himself as if he should say I am my being I am my essence my existence differeth not from my essence because I am that I am and as I am so will I be to all eternity the same yesterday to day and for ever There is no shadow of chage no variableness at all in me Now this Glorious Name is given to Jesus Christ Rev. 1. 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning In this verse you have a clear and pregnant proof of Christs Deity and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty This kind of speaking is taken from the Greek Alphabet in which Language John wrote this Book A called Alpha by them being their first letter and O which they call Omega the last The sence is I was before all creatures and shall abide for ever though all creatures should perish or I am he from whom all creatures had their beginning and to whom they are referred as their uttermost end Christ in calling of himself Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end and that absolutely doth therein assume unto himself absolute Perfection Power Dominion Eternity and Divinity which is and which was and which is to come Christ assumeth all those Epithetes here to himself by which John ver 4. described God and what wonder is it if Christ who is God doth take to himself what ever is due to God The Almighty this is another Epithete proper to God which Christ also taketh to himself shewing that he is the true eternal and omnipotent God in all things equal and coessential with the Father and the Holy Ghost This being the seventh argument which John makes use of to prove the Deity of Christ is three times repeated He is the first and the last which is was and is to come and the Almighty and therefore he is without a peradventure God eternal for so Jehovah saith of himself I the Lord the first and the last I am he I am the first and I am the last Isa 41. 4. cap 44. 6. Gen. 17. 1. and besides me there is no God I am God Almighty But Christ doth challenge as due to himself all these Divine Attributes therefore he is Jehovah that one eternal and omnipotent God with the Father and the Holy Ghost O the Stateliness and Majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ what an excellent and stately person is he there being not a property attributed to God but is agreeable to Christ Every word in this Rev. 1. 8. Is a proper Attribute of God He is infinite in Power soveraign in Dominion and not bounded as creatures are And that this is clearly spoken of Christ is most evident not See Rev. 21. 6. and cap. 22. 13. only from the scope John being to set out Christ from whom he had this Revelation but also from the eleventh and seventeenth verses following where he gives him the same Titles over again or rather if you please Christ speaking of himself taketh and repeateth the same Titles Heb. 13. 8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Yesterday that is the time past before his coming in the flesh To day while in the flesh And for ever that is after The same aforetime in time and after time Jesus Christ the same that is unchangeable in his essence promises and doctrine Jesus Christ was always the same and is still the same and will abide for ever the same as being one self same God and one self same Mediator as well in the Old as in the New Testament John 8. 58. Jesus said unto them verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am Mich. 5. 1. According to my Divine nature which is from everlasting before Abraham was I am I who according to my humanity am not above fifty years old according to my Divine Nature am eternal and so before Abraham and all the creatures I have a being from all eternity and so before Abraham was born and therefore as young as you take me me to be in respect of my age here I may well have seen and known Abraham though he died above two thousand years since But The third name or Title which denotes the Essence of God is Elohim which signifies the persons in the Essence 'T is a name of the plural number expressing the Trinity of persons in the unity of Essence and therefore it is observed by the learned that the Holy Ghost beginneth the story of the Creation with this plural name of God joyned with a Verb of the singular number as Elohim Bara Dii oreavit the mighty Gods or all the Gen. 1. 1 2. three persons in the Godhead created So Gen. 3. 22. And Jehovah Elohim said behold the man is become as one of us 't is a holy irrision of man's vain affectation of the Deity God upbraids our first parents for their vain affectation of being like unto him in that ironical expression Behold the man is become as one of us to know good and evil meaning that by his sin he was become most unlike him This name Elohim by which God expresseth his nature denotes the power and strength of God to shew us that God is strong and powerful and that he can do great things for his people and bring great desolations and destructions upon his and his people's enemies O Sirs God is too strong for his strongest enemies and too powerful for all the powers of Hell Though Jacob Isa 41. 10 13 14. a worm in his own eyes and in his enemies eyes yet Jacob need never fear for Elohim the strong and powerful God will stand by him and help him Now this name is also attributed unto Christ 45. Psal 6. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre Thy throne O God Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Thy throne O Gods Elohim it fignifies the Trinity of persons in the unity of Essence as I have before noted the Prophet directs his speech not to Solomon but to Christ as is most evident by the clear and unquestionable Testimony of the Holy Ghost Heb. 1. 8. But unto the Son he saith thy throne O God is for ever and ever a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom Christ is called God not by an excellency only as the Angels Psal 8. 5. compared with Heb. 2. 6 7 8. Psal
one only Mediator betwixt Isa 63. 3. I confess the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is given to Moses in that Gal. 3. 19. but Moses was but a typical Mediator and you never find that Moses is called a Mediator in a way of redemption or satisfaction or paying a Ransom for so dear Jesus is the only Mediator so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us used in that 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 8. 6 7. 8. Heb. 9. 14 15. Heb. 12. 22 23 24. God and men and 't is as high folly and madness to make more Mediators than one as 't is to make more Gods than one There is one God and one mediator betwixt God and men for look as one husband satisfies the wife as one father satisfies the child as one Lord satisfies the servant and on sun satisfies the world so one Mediator is enough to satisfie all the world that desire a Mediator or that have an interest in a Mediator The true sence and import of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mediator is a middle person or one that interposes betwixt two parties at variance to make peace betwixt them Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mediator be rendred variously sometimes an Umpiere or Arbitrator sometimes a messenger betwixt two persons sometimes an interpretor imparting the mind of one to another sometimes a reconciler or peace-maker yet this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth most properly signifie a Mediator or a midler because Jesus Christ is both a middle person and a middle officer betwixt God and man to reconcile and reunite God and man This of all others is the most proper and genuine signification of this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ is the middle that is the second person in the Trinity betwixt the Father and the Holy Ghost He is the only middle person betwixt God and man being in one person God-man and his being a middle person fits and capacitates him to stand in the midst between God and us And as he is the middle person so he is the middle officer intervening or interposing or coming between God and man by office satisfying God's justice to the full for man's sins by his sufferings and death and maintaining our constant peace in heaven by his meritorious intercession Hence as one observes Jesus Christ is Gerhard a true Mediator is still found in medio in the middle He was born as some think from Wisd 18. 14. about the middle of the night he suffered in the middle of the world that is at Jerusalem seated in the middle of the Heb. 11. 12. earth he was crucified in the midst between the two John 19. 18. thieves he died in the air on the cross in the midst between heaven and earth he stood after his Resurrection John 20. 19. in the midst of his Disciples and he has promised that where two or three are gathered together in his name he Mat. 18. 20. will be in the midst of them and he walks in the midst Rev. 2. 1. of the seven golden candle-sticks that is the Churches And he as the heart in the midst of the body distributes Ephe. 4. 15 16. spirits and vertue to all the parts of his mystical body Thus Jesus Christ is the Mediator betwixt God and man middle in person and middle in office And thus you have seen at large what a meet Mediator Jesus Christ is considered in both his natures considered as God-man But Secondly If Jesus Christ be not God then there is no spiritual nor eternal good to be expected or enjoyed If Christ be not God our preaching is in vain and your hearing is in vain and your praying is in vain and your believing is in vain and your hope of pardon and forgivness by Jesus Christ is in vain for none can forgive sins but a God Mark 2. 7. John 3. 16. John 10. 28. 2 Tim. 4. 8. James 1. 12. 1 Pet. 5. 4. v. Rev. 3. 21. Rev. 2. 11. Christ hath promised that believers shall never perish he hath promised them eternal life and that he will raise them up at the last day he has promised a Crown of Righteousness he has promised a Crown of Life he has promised a Crown of glory he has promised that conquering Christians shall sit down with him in his throne as he is set down with his father in his throne He has promised that they shall not be hurt of the second death And a thousand other good things Jesus Christ has promised but if Jesus Christ be not God how shall these promises be made good If a man that hath never a foot of Land in England nor yet worth one groat in all the world shall make his will and bequeath to thee such and such houses and Lands and Lordships in such a County or such a County and shall by Will give thee so much in Plate and so much in Jewels and so much in ready money whereas he is not upon any account worth one penny in all the world certainly such Legacies will never make a man the richer nor the happier None of those great and precious promises which are hinted at above will signifie any thing if Christ be not God for they can neither refresh us nor chear us in this world nor make us happy in that other world If Christ be not God how can he purchase our pardon procure our peace pacifie divine wrath and satisfie infinite justice A man may satisfie the justice of man but who but a God can satisfie the justice of God will God accept of thousands of Micah 6. 7. Rams or ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl or the first-born of thy body for the sin of thy soul Oh? No he will not he cannot that Scripture is worthy to be written in letters of Gold Acts 20. 28. Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you over-seers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood This must needs relate to Christ and Christ is here called God and Christ's blood is called the blood of God and without a peradventure Christ could never have gone through with the purchase of the Church if the blood he shed had not been the blood of God This blood is called God's own blood because the son of God being and remaining true God assumed humane flesh and blood in unity of person by this phrase that which appertaineth to the humanity of Christ is attributed to his Divinity because of the union of the two natures in one person and communion of properties The Church is to Christ a bloody Spouse an Acheldama or field of blood for the could not be redeemed with silver and gold but with 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. the blood of God so it is called by a communication of properties to set forth the incomparable value and vertue thereof But Thirdly if
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he assumed apprehended caught laid hold on the seed of Abraham as the Angel did on Lot as Christ Gen. 19. 16. did on Peter or as men do upon a thing they are glad Mat. 14. 31. they have got and are loath to lâ—t go again Oh sirs it is a main ground and pillar of our comfort and confidence that Jesus Christ took our flesh for if he had not took our flesh upon him we could never have been saved by him Christ took not a part but the whole nature of man that is a true humane soul and body together with all the essential properties and faculties of both that in man's nature he might die and suffer the wrath of God and whole curse due to our sins which otherwise Heb. 2. 14. being God only he could never have done and that he might satisfie divine justice for sin in the same nature that had sinned and indeed it was most meet and fit that the Mediator who was to reconcile God and man should partake in the natures of both parties to be reconciled Oh what matchless love was this that made our dear Lord Jesus to lay by for a time all that glory that he John 17. 5. had with the father before the world was and to assume our nature and to be found in fashion as a man to see Phil. 2. 8. the great God in the form of a servant or hanging upon the Cross how wonderful and astonishing was it to all that believed him to be God-man God manifested in 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 11. our flesh is an amazing mystery a mystery fit for the speculation of Angels that the eternal God should become 1 Tim. 2. 5. the man Christ Jesus that a most glorious Creator should Dan. 7. 9 13 22. Mat. 2. 11. become a poor creature that the Ancient of days should become an Infant of days that the most high should stoop so low as to dwell in a body of flesh is a glorious mystery that transcends all humane understanding It would have seemed a high blasphemy for us to have thought of such a thing or to have desired such a thing or to have spoken of such a thing if God in his everlasting Gospel had not reveiled such a thing to us Among the Romish Priests Friars Jesuits they count it a great demonstration of love an high honour that is done to any of their orders when any Noble man or great Prince who is weary of the world and the world weary of him comes among them and takes any of their habits upon him and lives and dies in their habits Oh what a demonstration of Christ's love is it and what a mighty honour hath Jesus Christ put upon mankind in that he took our nature upon him in that he lived in our nature and died in our nature and rose in our nature and ascended in our nature and now sits at his fathers right hand in Acts 1. 10 11. our nature Though Jacob's love to Rachel and Jonathan's love to David and David's love to Absolom and the primitive Christians love to one another was strong very strong yet Christ's love in taking our humane nature upon him does infinitely transcend all their loves I think Bern. sup cant ser 20. saith one speaking of Christ he cannot despise me who is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh â— for if he neglect me as a Brother yet he will love me as a husband that 's my comfort Oh my Saviour saith one didst thou Hierom. die for love of me a love more dolorous than death but to me a death more lovely than love it self I cannot live love and be longer from thee I read in Josephus that when J. s Bel. Jud. l. 1. c. 8. Herod Antipater was accused to Julius Caesar as no good friend of his he made no other Apology but stripping himself stark naked shewed Caesar his wounds and said let me hold my tongue these wounds will speak for me how I have loved Caesar ah my friends Christ's wounds in our nature speak out the admirable love of Jesus Christ to us and Oh how should this love of his draw out our love to Christ inflame our love to that Jesus who is God-man blessed for ever Mr. Welch a Suffolk-minister weeping at table being asked the reason said it was because he could love Christ no more ah what reason have we to weep and weep again and again that we can love that Jesus no more who hath shewed such unparalelled love to us in assuming of the humane nature Et ipsam animam odio haberem si non diligeret meum Jesum I must hate my very soul if it should not love my Jesus saith Bernard ah what cause have we given to hate our selves because we love that dear Jesus no more who is very God and very man But Thirdly Is Jesus Christ God-man is he very God and 3. consult hese Scriptures Isa 61. 1. Dan. 9. 24. 1 John 3. 8. Luk. 1. 74. 75. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 4. very man then we may very safely and roundly assert that the work of Redemption was a very great work the Redemption of souls is a mighty work a costly work to redeem poor souls from sin from wrath from the power of Satan from the curse from hell from the condemnation was a mighty work wherefore was Christ born wherefore did he live sweat groan bleed die rise ascend was it not to bring deliverance to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound was it not to make an end of sin to finish transgression and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to destroy the works of the Devil and to abolish death and to bring life and immortality to light and to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie us to himself and to make us a peculiar peple zealous of good works Certainly the work of Redemption was no ordinary or common thing God-man must engage in it or poor fallen man is undone for ever The greater the person is that is engaged in any work the greater is that work the great Monarchs of the world do not use to engage their sons in poor low mean and petty services but in such services as are high and honourable noble and weighty and will you imagine that ever the great and glorious God John 1. 18. 8. Pro. 22. 33 would have sent his son his own son his only begotten son his bosom son his son in whom his soul delighted before the foundations of the earth was laid to redeem poor sinners souls if this had not been a great work a high work and a most glorious work in his eye The Creation of the world did but cost God a word of his mouth Let there be light and there was light but the Redemption Gen. 1. 3. of souls cost him his dearest son there is a
honour fire will descend as on Sodom and Gomorrah and water Gen. 19. Exod. 14. 22. though a fluid body stand up like a solid wall as in the Red Sea if he do but speak the word Oh let not the inanimate creatures one day rise in judgment against us for not giving Christ his due honour if we honour Christ we shall have honour that is a bargain of Christ's own making but if we dishonour him he will put dishonour 1 Sam. 2. 30. upon us as Scripture and History in all Ages do sufficiently evidence in History we read of an Impostor that gave it out that he was that star which Balaam prophesied Nâ—m 24. 17. of which was a Prophecy of Christ this fellow called himself Ben-chomar the son of a Star this man professed himself to be Christ but he was slain with thunder and lightning from heaven and then the Jews called him Ben-cosmar which signifieth the son of a lye Learned Synag Julaics cap. 5. 36. Buxtorf tells us that the Jews call Christ Bar-chozabb the son of a lye a Bastard and his Gospel Aven-gelaion the Volume of lyes or the Volume of iniquity and hath not God been a revenging this upon them for above this sixteen hundred years Rabbi Samuel who long since writ a Tract in form of an Epistle to Rabbi Isaac Master of the Synagogue of the Jews wherein he doth excellently discuss the cause of their long Captivity and extreme misery and after that he had proved it was inflicted for some grievous sin he sheweth that sin to be the same which Amos speaks of For three transgressions of Israel and for Amos. 2. 6. four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shooes The selling of Joseph he makes the first sin the worshipping the Calf in Horeb the second sin the abusing and killing God's Prophets the third sin and the selling of Jesus Christ the fourth sin For the first they served four hundred years in Egypt for the second they wandred forty years in the Wilderness for the third they were Captives seventy years in Babylon and for the fourth they are held in pitiful Captivity even to this very-day Oh how severely has God reveng'd the wrongs and indignities done to Christ the Lord by this miserable people to this very hour and yet Oh the several ways wherein this poor people do every day express their malice and hatred against the Lord Jesus Oh pray pray hard that the veil may be taken away that has been so long before their eyes Herod imprisons Peter and killeth Act. 12. 1 2 3 4 James with the sword this God puts up but when he comes to usurp the honour due to Christ he must die vers 23. for it Herod might more safely take away the liberty of one and the life of another than the glory due to Christ long before his death being in chains he met with a strange Omen For as he stood bound before the Palace Josephus of the Antiquities of the Jews lib. 18. pag. 475. 476. leaning dejectedly upon a tree among many others that were prisoners with him an Owl came and sat down in that Tree to which he leaned which a German seeing being one of those that stood there bound he asked who he was that was in the Purple and leaned there and understanding who he was he told him of his enlargment promotion to honour and prosperity and that when he should see that bird again he should die within five days after Now when Herod had imprisoned Peter and slain James with the sword he went down to Caesarea and there he made sports and shows in honour of Cesar and Pag. 510. 511. on the second day being most gorgeously apparelled and the Sun shining very bright upon his Robe of Silver his flatterers saluted him for a God and cryed out to him Be merciful unto us hitherto have we feared thee as a man but hence forward we will acknowledg thee to be of a nature more excellent than mortal frailty can attain to the wretched King reproved not this abominable flattery but was well pleased with it and not long after he espyed the Owl which the German had foretold to be the Omen of his death And suddenly he was seized with miserable gripings in his belly which came upon him with vehement extremity whereupon turning himself towards his friends saith Loe he whom ye esteem for a God is doomed to die and destiny shall evidently confute you in those flattering and false speeches which you lately used concerning me for I who have been adored by you as one immortal am now under the hands of death and his griefs and torments increasing his death drew on apace whereupon he was removed into the Palace and all the people put on Sack-cloth and lay on the ground praying for him which he beholding could not refrain from tears and so after five days he gave up the Ghost Thus you see how dearly they have paid for it that have not given Christ his due glory and let these instances of his wrath alarm all your hearts so that we may make more conscience than ever of setting the Crown of honour only upon Christ's head for he only is worthy of all honour glory and praise Rev. 14. 10 11. But Sixthly Is Jesus Christ God-man is he very God and very man then from hence as in a glass you may see the true Reasons why the death and sufferings of Christ though short very short yet have a sufficient power and vertue in them to satisfie God's justice to pacifie his wrath to procure our pardon and to save our immortal souls viz. because of the dignity of his person that died and suffered for us the son of God yea God himself there was an infinite vertue and value in all his sufferings hence his Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 19. Acts 20. 28. Gal. 4. 4 5 6. blood is called precious blood yea the blood of God did man transgress the Royal Law of God behold God himself is become a man to make up that breach and to Rom. 8. 2 3 4. satisfie divine Justice to the uttermost farthing for the man Christ Jesus to stand before the bar of the Law and to make full and compleat reparation to it was the highest honour that ever was done to the Law of God this is infinitely more pleasing and delightful to divine Justice than if all the curses of the Law had been poured out upon fallen man and than if the Law had built up its honour upon the destruction of the whole Creation To see one Sun clouded is much more than to see the Moon and all the Stars in Heaven overcast Christ considered as God-man was great very great and the greater his person was the greater were his sorrows his sufferings his Isa 53. humiliation his compassion his satisfaction
33. 24. everlasting death then mercy steps in and pleads I have found a Ransom the sinner shall not die but live When the Law saith ah sinner sinner thus and thus hast thou transgressed all sorts of duties thou hast omitted and all sorts of sins hast committed and all sorts of mercies thou hast abused and all sorts of means thou hast neglected and all sorts of offers thou hast slighted then God steps in and saith ah sinner sinner what dost thou say what canst thou say to this heavy charge is it true or false with thou grant it or deny it what defence or plea canst thou make for thy self Alas the poor sinner is speechless Mat. 22. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was muzzled or haltered up that is he held his peace as though he had a bridle or a halter in his mouth this is the import of the Greek word here used he hath not one word to say for himself he can neither deny nor excuse or extenuate what is charged upon him why now saith God I must and do pronounce thee to be guilty and as I am a just and righteous God I cannot but adjudg thee to die eternally but such is the riches of my mercy that I will freely justifie thee through the righteousness of my son I will forgive thy sins and discharge thee of that obligation by which thou wast bound over to wrath and curse and condemnation so that the justified person may triumphingly say who is he that condemneth He may read over the most dreadful passages of the Law without being terrified or amazed as knowing that the curse is removed and that all his sins that brought him under the curse are pardoned and are in point of condemnation as if they had never been This is to be justified to have the sin pardoned and the penalty remitted Rom. 4. 5 6 7 8. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justisieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin It is observable that what David calleth forgiveness of sin and not imputing of iniquity St. Paul stiles a being justified But Secondly as the first part of Justification consists in the pardon of sin so the second part of Justification consists in the acceptation of the sinners person as perfectly righteous in God's sight pronouncing him such and dealing with him as such and by bringing of him under the shadow of that divine favour which he had formerly lost by his transgressions Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all fair my love and there is no spot in thee that is none in my account Deut. 32. 5. nor no such spots as the wicked are full of Look as David saw nothing in lame Mephibosheth but what was lovely 2 Sam. 9. 3 4 13 14. because he saw in him the features of his friend Jonathan so God beholding his people in the face of his son sees nothing amiss in them They are all glorious within and without Psal 45. 13. Look as Absolom had no blemish from head to foot so they are irreprehensible and Jer. 2. 32. without blemish before the throne of God Rev. 14. 5. The pardoned sinner in repect of divine acceptation is without Eph. 5. 26 27. spot or wrinkle or any such thing God accepts the pardoned sinner as compleat in him who is the head Colos 2. 10. of all principality and power Christ makes us comely through his beauty he gives us white raiment to stand before the Lord Christ is all in all in regard of divine acceptance Eph. 1. 6. He hath made us accepted in the beloved All persons out of Christ are cursed enemies objects of God's wrath and Justice displeasing offending and provoking creatures and therefore God cannot but loath them and abhor them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath made us favourites so Chrysostom and Theophilact render it God hath ingratiated us he hath made us gracious in the son of his love through the blood of Christ we look of a sanguine complexion ruddy and beautiful in God's eyes Isa 62. 4. Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken but thou shalt be called Hephzibah for the Lord delighteth in thee The acceptation of our persons with God takes in six things 1. God's honouring of us 2. His delight in us 3. His being well pleased with us 4. His extending love and favour to us 5. His high estimation of us 6. His giving us free access to himself It is the observation of Ambrose that though Jacob was not by birth the first-born yet hiding himself under his brother's cloaths and having put on his coat which smelled most fragrantly he came into Gen. 27. 36. his father's presence and got away the blessing from his elder brother so it is very necessary in order to our acceptation with God that we lie hid under the precious Robe of Christ our elder brother that having the sweet 2 Cor. 2. 15. savour of his garments upon us our sins may be covered with his perfections and our unrighteousness with the Robes of his righteousness that so we may offer up our selves unto God a living and acceptable sacrifice not Rom. 12. 1. Isa 64. 6. Phil. 3. 9. having our own righteousness which are but as filthy rags but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Thus you see that Justification for the nature of it lies in the gracious pardon of the sinners transgressions and in the acceptation of his person as righteous in Gods sight But Secondly In order to the partaking of this grace of the forgiveness of our sins and the acceptation of our persons we must be able to produce a perfect righteousness before the Lord and to present it and tender it unto him and the reason is evident from the very nature of God who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Habak 1. 13 that is Habak 1. 13. Heb. And to look on iniquity thou canst not do it with patience or pleasure or without punishing it There are four things that God cannot do 1. He cannot lie 2. He cannot die 3. He cannot deny himself 4. He cannot behold iniquity with approbation and delight Josh 24. 19. And Joshua said unto the people ye cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God he is a jealous God he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins such is the holiness of God's nature that he cannot behold sin Psal 5. 4 5 6. that he cannot but punish sin where ever he finds it God is infinitely immutably and inexorably just as well as he is incomprehensibly gracious Now in the justification of a sinner God doth act as a God of justice as well
Fourthly know for your comfort that this imputed righteousness of Christ will answer to all the fears doubts and objections of your souls How shall I look up to God the answer is in the righteousness of Jesus Christ how shall I have any communion with a holy God in this world the answer is in the righteousnâ—ss of Christ How shall I find acceptance with God the answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I die the answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I stand before a Judgment seat the answer is in the righteousness of Jesus Christ Your sure and only way under all temptations fears conflicts doubts and disputes is by faith to remember Christ and the sufferings of Christ as your Mediator and Surety and say Oh Christ thou art my sin in being made sin for me and thou art my curse being â— Coâ— 5. 21. â—al 3. 13. made a curse for me or rather I am thy sin and thou art my rightcousness I am thy curse and thou art my blessing I am thy death and thou art my life I am the wrath of God to thee and thou art the love of God to me I am thy hell and thou art my heaven Oh sirs if you think of your sins and of God's wrath if you think of your guiltiness and of God's justice your hearts will faint and fail they will fear and tremble and sink into despair if you do not think of Christ if you do not stay and rest your souls upon the mediatory righteousness of Christ The Imputed Righteousness of Christ The Imputed Righteousness of Christ answers all cavils and objections though there were millions of them that can be made against the good estate of a believer This is a precious truth more worth than a world that all our sins are pardoned not only in a way of truth and mercy but in a way of justice Satan and our own consciences will object many things against our souls if we plead only the mercy and the truth of God and will be ready to say oh but where is then the justice of God can mercy pardon without the consent of his justice but now whilst we rest upon the satisfaction of Christ justice and mercy kiss Psal 85. 10. each other yea justice saith I am pleased in a day of temptation many things will be cast in our dish about the multitude of our sins and the greatness of our sins and the grievousness of our sins and about the circumstances and aggravations of our sins but that good word Christ hath redeemed us from all iniquities he hath paid Titus 2. 14. the full price that justice could exact or require and that good word mercy rejoyceth against judgment may James 2. 13. support comfort and bear us up under all The infinite worth of Christ's obedience did arise from the dignity of his person who was God-man so that all the obedience of Angels and men if put together could not amount to the excellency of Christ's satisfaction The righteousness of Christ is often called the righteousness of God because it is a righteousness of God's providing and a righteousness that God is fully satisfied with and therefore no fears no doubts no cavils no objections no disputes can stand before this blessed and glorious righteousness of Jesus Christ that is imputed to us But Fifthly know for your comfort that the imputed righteousness of Christ is the best title that you have to shew for a Kingdom that shakes not for riches that corrupt not Heb. 12. 28. 1 Pet. 1 3 4 5. 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3 4 for an inheritance that fadeth not away and for an house not made with bands but one eternal in the heavens 'T is the fairest certificate that you have to shew for all that happiness and blessedness that you look for in that other world The righteousness of Christ is your life your joy your comfort your crown your confidence your heaven your all oh that you were still so wise as to keep a fixed eye and an awakened heart upon the mediatory righteousness of Christ for that 's the righteousness by which you may safely and comfortably live and by which you may happily and quietly die It was a very sweet and golden confession which Bernard made when he thought Guliel Aâ—bas in vâ—ta Bern. lib. 1. cap. 12. himself to be at the point of death I confess said he I am not worthy I have no merits of mine own to obtain heaven by but my Lord had a double right thereunto an hereditary right as a son and a meritorious right as a sacrifice he was contented with the one right himself the other right he hath given unto me by the vertue of which gift I do rightly lay claim unto it and am not confounded ah that believers would dwell much upon this that they have a righteousness in Christ that is as full perfect and compleat as if they had fulfilled the Law Christ being the end of the Law for righteousness to believers invests believers with a righteousness every way as compleat as the personal obedience of the Law would Rom. 8. 3 4. have invested them withal yea the righteousness that believers have by Christ is in some respect better than that they should have had by Adam 1. Because of the dignity of Christ's person he being the son of God his righteousness is more glorious than Adam's was his righteousness is called the righteousness of God and we are made the 2 Cor. 5. 21. righteousness of God in him The first Adam was a mere man the second Adam is God and man 2. Because the righteousness is perpetual Adam was a mutable person he lost his righteousness in one day say some and all that glory which his posterity should have possessed had he stood fast in innocency But the righteousness of Christ cannot be lost his righteousness is like himself from everlasting to everlasting 't is an everlasting righteousness when once this white rayment is put upon a believer it Dâ—n 9. 24. can never fall off it can never be taken off This splendid glorious righteousness of Jesus Christs is as really a Rev. 19. 8. believers as if he had wrought it himself A believer is no loser but a gainer by Adam's fall by the loss of Adam's righteousness is brought to light a more glorious and durable righteousness than ever Adam's was and upon the account of an interest in this righteousness a believer may challenge all the glory of that upper world But Sixthly know for your comfort that this imputed righteousness of Christ is the only true basis bottom and ground for a believer to build his happiness upon his joy and comfort upon and the true peace and quiet of his conscience upon what though Satan or thy own heart or the world condemns thee yet in this thou maist rejoyce that God justifies thee you see what a bold challenge Paul
transgressors and upon that score we stand indebted to the justice of God and lie under the stroke of his wrath Now the Lord Jesus Christ seeing us in this condition he steps in and stands between us and the blow yea he takes this wrath and curse off from us unto himself he stands not only or meerly after the manner of a Surety among men in the case of debt for here the Surety enters bond with the Principal for the payment of the debt but yet expects that the debtor should not put him to it but that he should discharge the debt himself he only stands as a good security for the debtor no Christ Jesus doth not expect that we should pay the debt our selves but he takes it wholly upon himself As a surety for a murtherer or traytor or some other notorious malefactor that hath broken prison and is run away he lies by it body for body state for state and undergoes whatsoever the malefactor is chargeable withal for satisfying the Law Even so the Lord Jesus stands Surety for us runagate malefactors making himself liable to all that curse that belongs to us that he might both answer the Law fully and bring us back again to God As the first Adam stood in the room of all mankind fallen so Christ the second Adam stands in the room of all mankind that are to be restored he sustains the person of all those which do spiritually descend from him and unto whom he bears the relation of a Head When God appointed his dearest Son to be a Surety for us and charged all our debts upon him and required an exact satisfaction to his Law and Justice insomuch that he would not abate the Son of his love one farthing token of the debt he did demonstrate a greater love to Justice than if he had damned as many worlds as there are men in the world O let us never cast an eye upon Christ's Suretyship but let us stand and wonder yea let us be swallowed up in a deep admiration of Christs love and of his Fathers impartial justice Ah what transcendent wisdom also does here appear in reconciling the riches of Mercy and infinite Justice both in one by the means of a Surety If all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth had been put to answer these Questions How shall sin be pardoned how shall the sinner be reconciled and saved how shall the wrath of God be pacified how shall the Justice of God be satisfied how shall the Redemption of Man be brought about in such a way whereby God may be most eminently glorified they could never have answered the questions But God in his infinite Wisdom hath found out a way to save sinners not only in a way of Mercy and Grace but in a way of Justice and Righteousness and all this by the means of Christ's Suretyship as hath been already declared Now from the consideration of Christ's Suretyship a believer may form up this Seventh safe comfortable and blessed Plea as to the ten Scriptures formerly cited that refer to the great day of account or to a man's particular account O blessed Father remember that thine own Son was my Ransom his blood was the price he was my Surety and undertook to answer for my sins I know O blessed God that thou must be satisfied but remember When a man matries a woman with her person he takes her debts and satisfaction too so does Christ when he takes us to be his he takes our sins also to be hiâ— my Surety has satisfied thee not for himself for he was holy and harmless a Lamb without a spot but for me They were my debts he satisfied for and look over thy Books and thou shalt sind that he hath cleared all accounts and reckonings between thee and me the guilt of all my sins have been imputed to my Surety who did present himself in my stead to make full payment and satisfaction to thy Justice as Paul said to Philemon Philem. ver 18. concerning his servant Onesimus If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee any thing put it upon my account So saith Christ to the penitent and believing soul If thou hast any guilt any debt to be answered for unto God put them all upon my account if thou hast wronged my Father I will make satisfaction to the uttermost for I was made sin for thee 2 Cor. 5. 21. Isa 53. 12. I poured out my soul for thy transgressions it cost me my hearts blood to reconcile thee to my Father and to Acts 20. 28. Gen. 27. 13. slay all enmity And as Robeckah said to Jacob in another case Vpon me my son be the curse so faith Christ to the believing soul why thy sins did expose thee unto the curse of the Law but I was made a curse for thee I did Gal. 3. 13. bear that burthen my self upon the Cross and upon my shoulders were all thy griefs and sorrows born I was Isa 53. 4 5 6 7 8. 10. Eph. 1. 7. wounded for thy transgressions and I was bruised for thy iniquities and therefore we are said to have redemption and remission of sins in his blood O blessed God! thou knowest that a surety-doth not pay the debt only for the debtors good but as standing in the debtors stead and so his payment is reckoned to the dâ—btor And thus the case stands between Christ and my soul for as my Surety he hath paid all my debts and that very payment that he hath made in honour and justice thou art obliged to accept of as made in my stead Oh dearest Father that Jesus who is God-man as my Surety he hath done all that the Law requireth of me and thereby he hath freed me from wrath to come and from the curse that 1 Thes 1. ult was due to me for my sins This is my plea O holy God and by this plea I shall stand Hereupon God declares this plea I accept as just and good and therefore enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Christian Reader I have gone as far in the opening and clearing up of those Grand Points of the Gospel that have fallen under our consideration as I judge meet at this time By the Title-page thou mayest safely conclude that I have promised much more than in this Treatise I have performed but be but a little patient and by divine assistance I shall make sure and full payment The Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Redemption with some other Points of high importance I shall present to thee in the Second Part which will be the Last Part. In this First Part I don't offer thee that which cost me nothing I desire that all the interest thou hast in heaven may be so fully and duly improved that this First Part may be so blest from on high as that Saints and Sinners may have cause to bless God to all Aeternity for what is brought to hand and beg hard
reckonings between God and us Therefore it is said That in his blood we have Redemption even the forgiveness of sins Eph. 1. 7. Quest Whether it were not against the justice of God that Q. Christ who was in himself innocent without all sin a Lamb without a spot should bear and endure all thâ—se punishments for us who were the offending and guilty and obnoxious persons only Or if you please thus Whether God was not unjust to give his Son Jesus Christ Q. to be our Surety and Mediator and Redeemer and Saviour for as much as Christ could not be any one of these for and unto us but by a willing susception of our sins upon himself to be for them responsible unto the justice of God in suffering those punishments which were due for our sins I shall speak a few words to this main Question I say then that it is not always and in all cases unjust but it is somtimes and in some cases very just to punish one who is himself Innocent for him or those who are the â—nocent and guilty Grotius in his Book de satisfactione gives divers instances but I shall mention only two First In case of Conjunction where the innocent party and the nocent party do become legally one party and therefore if a Man Marries a Woman indebted he thereupon becomes obnoxious to pay her debts although absolutely considered he was not obnoxious thereunto But Secondly In case of Surety-ship where a person knowing the weak and insufficient condition of another doth yet voluntarily put forth himself and will be bound to the Creditor for him as his Surety to answer for him by reason of which Surety-ship the Creditor may come upon him and deal with him as he might have dealt with the principal Debtor himself and this course we do ordinarily take with Sureties for the recovery of our right without any violation of justice Now both these are exactly applicable to the business in hand for Jesus Christ was pleased to Marry our Nature unto himself he did partake of our flesh and blood and became man and one with us And besides that he did both by the Will of his Father and his own free consent become our Surety and was content to stand in our stead or room so as to be made sin and curse for us that is to have all our debts and sorrows all our sins and punishments laid upon him and did engage himself to satisfie God by bearing and suffering what we should have born and suffered And therefore although Jesus Christ absolutely considered in himself was innocent and had no sin inherent in himself which therefore might make him lyable to Death and Wrath and Curse yet by becoming one with us and sustaining the office of our Surety our sins were laid on him and our sins being laid upon him he made himself therefore obnoxious and that justly to all those punishments which he did suffer for our sins I do confess that had Christ been unwilling and forced into this Surety-ship or had any detriment or prejudice risen to any party concerned in this transaction than some complaint might have been made concerning the Justice of God But First There was a willingness on all sides for the passive work of Christ First God the Father who was the offended party he was willing which Christ assures us of when he said Thy Will be done Math. 26. 42. Act. 4. 25 26 27 28. Secondly We poor Sinners who are the offending party are willing We accept of this gracious and wonderful Redemption and bless the Lord who so loved us as to give his Son for us And thirdly Jesus Christ was willing to suffer for us Behold I come Psal 40. 7. And shall I not drink of the Cup which my Father hath given me to drink Joh. 18. 11. I have a Baptisme to be Baptised with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished Luk. 12. 50. He calls the death of his Cross a Baptisme partly because it was a certain immersion into extream calamities into which he was cast and partly because in the Cross He was so to be sprinkled in his own Blood as if he had been drowned and Baptised in it the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendred strained signifies to be pained pressed or pent up not with such a grief as made him unwilling to come to it but with such as made him desire that it were once over There seems saith Grotius to be a similitude implyed in the Original word taken from a Woman with Child which is so afraid of her bringing forth that yet she would fain be eased of her burden Joh. 10. 11. I am the good Shepherd The good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep Christ is that good Shepherd by an excellency that held not his life dear for his Sheeps safety ver 15. I lay down my life for the Sheep vers 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life vers 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self A necessity there was of our Saviours death but it was a necessity of immutability because God had decreed it Act. 2. 23. not of coaction He laid down his life freely He dyed willingly But Secondly No parties whatsoever were prejudiced or lost by it we lost nothing by it for we are saved by his death and reconciled by his death and Christ lost nothing by it ought not Christ to have suffered these things and enter into his glory Luk. 24. 26. The Captain of our Salvation is made perfect through sufferings Heb. 2. 10. You may see Christs glorious Rewards for his sufferings in that Isa 53. 10 11 12. And God the Father lost nothing by it for he is glorified by it I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17. 4. Yea he is fully satisfied and repaired again in all the honour which he lost by our sinning I say he is now fully repaired again by the sufferings of Christ in which he found a price sufficient and a Ransom and enough to make peace for ever In the day of account a Christians great plea is that Christ has been his Surety and paid his debts and made up his accounts for him Now from what has been said last a Christian may Eccles 11. 9. cap. 12 14. Math. 12. 1â— cap. 18. 23. Luk. 16. 3. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 6. 10. Heb. 9. 27 cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet 4. 5. form up this second plea to the ten Scriptures in the Margent that refer either to the general Judgment or to the particular Judgment that will pass upon every Christian immediately after death O blessed Lord upon my first believing and closing with Jesus Christ thou didst justifie me in the Court of glory from all my sins both as to guilt and punishment Upon my first act of believing thou didst pardon all my sins