mortifies our Lusts writes his Laws in our Hearts but these things relate to our Sanctification not to our Justification Christ as Priest only hath a proper influence on our Justification as such he was made under the Command and endured the Curse of the Law The taking of Christ for our Lord the choosing and accepting of him as our King is the root spring and begining of our new Obedience Our very Subjection to Christ is an imperfect and a defective act of Obedience we do not fully Submit to Christ There is a Negative vote there is a Rebellious party there is a Law of Sin in our Flesh And can we look on a weak imperfect act of our Obedience as giving us right and title to the perfect Obedience and compleat Righteousness of Christ Choosing and taking Christ for King is certainly a work of ours and if we are Justified by it as a condition Are we not Justified by a Work of our own Is not this to bring in our Works in the root and principle of them into Justification And must we not beware that though we have Works in our Superstructure yet we have them not in our Foundation 3. Some set up that which they call an Evangelical Righteousness of our own consisting in the fulfilling the conditions of the new Law or Covenant and that it is this that entitles us to the Righteousness of Christ which they call our Legal Righteousness Our Brethren I hope do not mean that our own Evangelical Righteousness is our immediate Righteousness and the Righteousness of Christ our remote Righteousness Surely Christ's Righteousness is our immediate only perfect Righteousness for Justification By a new Law I hope they do not mean a Law that requires less duty than the Moral Law or makes those imperfactions to be no Sins that the Moral Law doth condemn as Transgressions All our new Obedience cannot be any proper condition of the Covenant because the performance of it is the Fruit of God's performing his promise to us Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit into them and cause them to walk in my Statutes and to keep my Judgements and Commandments Our Obedience is defective and imperfect And can this be the condition of our Title to Christ's Righteousness Persons must beware that they do not Legalize the Covenant of Grace yea set up an easier Covenant of works 2. Vse If Jehovah be our Righteousness then we may be informed of three things 1. Of the wonderful wisdom 2. Of the exact Righteousness 3. Of the admirable Grace of God 1. We may learn the wonderful wisdom of God that he hath Reconciled two things that seemed contrary and utterly inconsistent That the Just should be Condemned and the Wicked Justified Prov. 17.15 yet both these God hath accomplished without any stain to his Holiness reflexion on or reproach to his Justice Jesus Christ that knew no sin yet was made sin 2 Cor. 5.21 that Just one died for the Unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 What was more remote from the thoughts and hid from the minds of Natural Men than that the Son of God should stoop from Heaven to Earth be not only clothed with our Flesh but also be burthened with our Sins and the weight of our Curse That he should come under our Iniquities that we might come into his Righteousness The very finding out a Surety and the constituting of a Mediator is a deep design of Infinite Wisdom That another should expiate our sins and pay a Ransom for our Souls 2. We may be informed of the exact Righteousness and inexorable Justice of God How just is God that he would not be appeased without an Atoning Sacrifice that he would not dismiss Prisoners or release Captives without a Ransom or Justifie without an Obedience Rom. 3.24 25. Rom. 5.19 The Debt must be exacted of Christ the Storm must fall the Curse must be executed on him else he could not be our Righteousness Christ was set forth for a Propitiation that God might be just and the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. God's Sword did awake against Christ else it could never have been laid asleep towards us Zech. 13.7 Our Sins were laid on Christ our Iniquities took hold of him our Reproaches whereby we reproached God did fall on Christ Rom. 15.3 he could not be spared the Cup could not pass from him God could not release or exempt his own Son from Sufferings The Lord Jesus was so bound by his own undertaking as a Surety that he could not use his own Tongue to plead for and vindicate himself he could not exert or exercise his own power to restrain his Enemies or to rescue himself from them It was just that God should bruise Christ as he became our Surety it is now just that God should Pardon those that fly to Christ 1 John 1.9 There was a Redemption of Transgressions by the Death of Christ Heb. 9.15 Some think this Phrase the Redemption of Transgressions is borrowed from that Hebrew Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goel hadam the Redeemer or Avenger of Blood Our Transgressions were Redeemed by being avenged in the Death of Christ Sin would have for ever laid on us if it had not been bought off by the Blood of Christ God is said to Justifie the Ungodly Rom. 4.6 but it is because Jesus Christ died for the ungodly Rom. 5.6 God would not have been at peace with us if the Chastisement of our peace had not fallen on Christ Isa 53.5 3. We may be informed of the admirable and astonishing Grace of God that Jehovah the Son should become our Righteousness This Righteousness of Christ is not derived to us doth not descend upon us as Adam's sin doth Adam was a Natural Head we were nearly related to him as the Father of our Flesh as the Root and Fountain of our Nature and so we must needs be involved in his Guilt and wrapt up in his Transgression it is our Patrimony and Inheritance for we are by Nature Children of Wrath Ephes 2.3 But Christ is a Supernatural Head a Second Adam constituted by meer Grace We were wholly strangers and no way Related to him but by pure Mercy His Righteousness is wholy a Gift Rom. 5.17 We were born under Adam's sin but it is by Faith that we come into Christ's Righteousness Guilt is spoken of as that which is past By the Disobedience of one many have been made sinners but Justification is spoken of as Future By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5.19 that is when they fly to him and are found in him O what Grace is this that sinners should be cut out of their Natural Stock and be grafted into a Supernatural Stock that we should not be condemned for our own sins but be justified by the Righteousness of another That God should Rain Vengeance on him and Righteousness on us That Jesus Christ should be cast into Prison himself Isa 53.8 that he might call us
Cut off for our Sins that as a Surety he took on himself though he was a Green Flourishing Fruit-bearing-Tree yet all our Barrenness was charged all our Corrupt Fruits were hanged on the Tree of Life by Imputation therefore a Fire was kindled against him he was hewed down and cut off from the Land of the Living Isa 53.8 Christ's submitting to Circumcision Luke 2.21 and to Baptisme Matth. 3.13 16. that were Ordinances proper and peculiar to Sinners did shew that he took our Sins on him that we in Baptisme might have our Sins put away and his Righteousness put on us 3. Christ's Sufferings may well be called and accounted a part of his Righteousness because in bearing his Sufferings he admirably exercised his Graces and was most active in fulfilling the Law to the utmost height and pitch of Perfection Indeed mere Innocence is not Rewardable but as it is accompanied and attended with an Active Obedience and Righteousness He submitted to the Will of his Father Matth. 26.42 If this Cup may not pass from me except I drink it thy will be done He evidenced declared and demonstrated to the world that he loved the Father and would do what he commanded him the Threatning of Death against us was changed into a Commandment given to Christ that he should die Therefore he would go forth to offer himself to the hands of his Enemies and to meet Death John 14. last And Christ manifested wonderful Meekness and Patience towards his Enemies and expressed admirable Goodness in Praying for his Persecutors and Murtherers Luke 23.24 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do Sinners hated Christ without a cause and he loved them without a cause What astonishing kindness did Jesus Christ discover towards his Sheep in that he would lay down his Life for them John 10.11 15. Was not the love of Christ a love passing knowledge Ephes 3.18 19. Was it ever known that when the Butcher came to the Fold to fetch Sheep and Lambs to kill them that the Shepherd should offer and substitute himself in their room and to be contented to be slain himself that they might be spared Some have thought that this was a strain of Love above and beyond what the Law requires from one Neighbour towards another Men are to Love their Neighbours as themselves but Christ loved his Sheep more than himself he forgot he denied himself was swallowed up in most pure and ardent Love towards them Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 So that Christ was highly Righteous and perfectly conformed to the Law in all his Sufferings and Sorrows Thus Jesus Christ did Answer the Character that the Church of Old gave of him that he was white and ruddy the chiefest amongst ten thousand Cant. 5.10 Jesus Christ was White in his Active and Ruddy in his Passive Obedience and so did at once commend us to God's Holiness and secure us from his Wrath and Justice As the First Adam in Transgressing the Positive Law God gave him not to eat of the Forbidden Fruit did violate the whole Moral Law he was unjust to God injurious to himself and cruel to all his Posterity whom he betrayed defiled and ruined So the Second Adam in Obeying a Positive Law to Die Fulfilled the whole Moral Law in perfect Love to God and Man and absolute Denial of Himself 2. The Second thing I am to insist on is to Evidence That Jehovah the Son of God is our Righteousness First No other but he that was God Manifested in the Flesh could now in this degenerate state of Fallen Man satisfie and fulfil the Commands of the Law The word of God is very pure Psal 119.140 The Command is exceeding broad Psal 119.96 The Law is very Spiritual Rom. 7.14 There is a wonderful depth in the Law of God it goeth deeper than the actual consent of the Will Others of the Ten Commandments as the Fifth Sixth Seventh and Eighth do forbid heart-evils for the Law is Spiritual It is the Law of an Omniscient heart-searching Lawgiver and therefore it is not only given to the Lip and Life but reaches and extends to the Soul But the Tenth Commandment is yet more deep and spiritual it forbiddeth the First buddings and stirrings of Sin in the Soul whereby the Will is Tempted by it self and sollicited to consent and comply These are the Neighings of a Carnal Heart after fleshly objects Jer. 13.27 I have seen thy Adulteries and thy Neighings These Neighings of an unclean heart do tend to Fornication and Adultery In these First Covetings and Lustings the Old Man doth as it were cast forth its seed into the Womb of the Heart but Lust doth not conceive in the Language of James James 1.14 15. till this Seed is received cherished and embraced in the Womb of the Will till it consents and yields to a Temptation Who now of the best of the Sons of Men can stand before this holy and perfect Law of God Dare the best of Saints in the World go to a Trial before God on the account of their Works Did not David himself decline such a Trial Did he not wave and deprecate it Psal 143.23 Enter not into judgment with thy Servant For in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified But this is that excellency and glory of Christ that he was a Spiritual Beauty among deformed Ethiopians an upright Soul among crooked Creatures one that did dwell in the Torrid Zone of Love when the Hearts of others were Congealed and Frozen towards God He had the highest flame of Love and not the least spark of Lust But the obedience of no others is of sufficient purity according to the Covenant of Works to be Tried at God's Touchstone or of Weight enough to hold in God's Ballance But Christ's Obedience for Purity and Weight will be approved before the Tribunal of God The Eye of Omnisciency can see no fault in it the Holiness of God is not dissatisfied with it but highly approves of it and delights in it As no meer Creature can satisfie for the Guilt of Sin and so prevent Eternal Death so the obedience of no mere Creature can Merit Eternal Life The Command of the Law must be fulfilled as well as the Curse executed there must be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Righteousness that there may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Justification 2. No other but Jehovah could bear the Weight of Millions of Sins and endure sufficient Punishment for them The People of Israel were a Nation of heavy Iniquity Isa 1.4 Laden with Transgressions The Earth on which they did dwell is said to Reel and stagger like a Drunken Man and the Transgression of it that is of the Inhabitants of it is said to be heavy on it Isa 24.20 And if there was Heaviness of Iniquity in one People What was there in the Whole World No other Neck could bear such a Weighty Yoke of Punishment for Transgressions but
Kingdom Christ's Testament doth make both Children and Heires 1. Saints have their new nature from God's Gracious Covenant so they are born of the Covenant that promises a new Heart and Spirit Ezek. 36.26 and on this account are said to be the Children of the promise Rom. 9.8 And they have the Eternal Inheritance from the same gracious Covenant and so are stiled the Heires of promise Heb. 6 17.11 We cannot obtain a blessing by our own Righteousness and Works but by the Sacrifice and Death of Jesus Christ Levit. 9.22 23. This Text of Scripture is observable when Aaron had offered Sacrifice then he was to Bless the people in the Name of the Lord the form of Blessing is expressed Numb 6.24 25 26. The Lord make his Face to shine the Lord lift up the light of his Countenance upon thee When Christ was Sacrificed God hid his Face from him and did forsake him Psal 22.1 Christ's Sufferings purchased and procured this Blessing for us That God's Face may shine on us and the light of his Countenance may be lifted up upon us Jesus Christ bare the Curse Galat. 3.13 He was made a Curse that the Blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles Galat. 3.14 God promised to Abraham That in his seed all the Nations of the Earth should be Blessed Gen. 22.18 Christ was the Seed meant and intended Galat. 3.8 There could be no Blessing without Redemption from the Curse and we could not be Redeemed from the Curse if Jesus Christ did not endure it There are blemishes and defects in our best Works and they deserve a Curse and therefore cannot earn and merit a Blessing but we must seek it in Christ they that are of Faith are Blessed with Faithful Abraham Gal. 3.9 It is not said they are Blessed with working Abraham but with Faithful believing Abraham Abraham himself did not get the Blessing by Working but by believing He did not find that in his own Heart or Life that would warrant him to Glory in himself before God The same way that Abraham got the Blessing all his believing seed must attain it Object But here it may be Objected Is it not said Psal 112.1 Blessed is the man that Feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments and Psal 119.1 2. Blessed are the undefiled in the way that walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies and seek him with their whole heart Answ No man since the Fall did ever earn a Blessing by his obedience to the Works of the Law therefore Calvin excellently observes Rom. 32. ver 1 2. that all such passages are grounded on the Blessing we have by the free and full forgiveness of our Sins Psal 32.1 2. Blessed is the man whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord Imputeth not Iniquity Paul asserts that David describeth the Blessedness of the Man to whom the Lord imputeth Righteousness without Works saying Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven Rom. 4.6 7. No man is blessed for any Righteousness or works of his own but as the person is a Believer in Christ and freely Justified by Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3.24 Fearing God walking in his Law keeping his Testimonies are sweet Indications and Comfortable Characters who the persons are that are Blessed But it is the Forgiveness of Sin that is the true cause of our Blessedness The Mercies that God bestows are not conferred by our Covenant as if we had earned and merited them but by his Covenant as the Fruits of his meer and pure Grace Observe well this distinction which God makes between our Covenant which is a Covenant of Works and his Covenant that is a Covenant of Grace and that Good things are given by his Covenant but not bestow'd by our Covenant Weigh well the Importance of this Scripture Ezek. 16.61 62. 12. We enter into Rest by Faith in Christ and not by our own Works Heb. 4.3 We that have believed do enter into rest It is not said We that have wrought Righteousness do enter into Rest It was the Speech of Fisher Bishop of Rochester Fides Faeta Justificat sed ante partum * Treat of Justiffcation Faith that is impregnated with Good Works doth Justifie but yet before it brings them forth yet Faith doth not Justifie as it is adapted fitted or disposed to bring forth Good Works but as it respects Christ eyes his Righteousness and Obedience The Faith big with Good Works doth Justifie but not because it is so or as it is such but by virtue of its respect to Christ and the Free Promise Noah by Faith entred into the Ark and rested there it had no Rudder or Helm for him to handle and manage no Sailes for him to trim no Rigging for him to look after he did nothing to Stear or Sail the Ark up and down but he sweetly rested by Faith in the Ark He believed God would Stear and Guide it that it should not be broken dashed to pieces sink or miscarry Noah in this Temporal deliverance from the Flood saw and apprehended an Eternal Salvation from the Flood of Divine Vengeance in and by Christ the true Ark of Salvation and that blessed rest and security that is attained by Faith in him Hence the Apostle saith That Noah became Heir of the Righteousness that is by Faith Heb. 11.7 he did believe that by the Righteousness and Obedience of the Messiah to come as an Ark he should be saved from the Wrath to come This is much to be observed that the Sabbath Instituted in Paradise was the Seventh in order after Six Working days and was suited to Man's State of Innocency and did most properly belong to the Covenant of Works that Promiseth a Blessed Life and Rest after perfect Works of Righteousness wrought by us Rom. 10.5 The man that doth those things shall live by them But the Christian Sabbath is the First Day of the Week before our Six Working days and therefore is suited and fitted to the New Covenant that Promiseth a Rest to the Consciences of them that believe before uhey do Works of Righteousness Those that are Justified by Faith have peace with God through Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 Calvin doth think that God pointed at this in such a severe and rigid injunction of the Sabbath He that would not have us to be weary in well-doing Galat. 6.9 yet commands us to cease from our own works Nonne eo ipso pronuntiat omnia oper a nostra mala esse And Isaiah teaching us that the Sabbath is violated Quando invenitur nostra voluntas Isa 58.13 When we find our own will and pleasure doth shew a necessity of ceasing from our own Wills and Works in our Justification Calvin thus Discourses in the 1st and 6th Book against Pighius concerning Free-will we are Justified not by shewing our Good Works but by our Evil Works being hid and covered
God by Isaiah tell us Isa 48.8 Thou wast called a Transgressor from the Womb. God might call us Backsliders Revolters Rebels and Enemies And is not our own Name both reproachful dangerous and pernicious too if we keep and retain it Is it not then absolutely necessary that we should lose our old Name and put on the Honourable and Glorious Name of Christ that we may be Justified in it 1 Cor. 6.11 The Apostle Paul hath this expression Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus The Apostle seems to me plainly to refer to the Name of Christ in the Text and to this Name as communicated to and put on the Church Jer. 33.16 in this Name of our Husband must we be Justified If our old Name stick on us and cleave to us we must surely be Condemned in this Name and the Wrath of God will abide upon us But Christ's Name will draw Salvation on us and procure a Blessing for us As a Husband must Cloath his Wife so Christ spreads the Skirt of the Robe of his Righteousness on and over us to hide our Shame and cover our Nakedness Ezek. 16.8 as a Husband is a cover to the Wife he protects her from Debts Arrests Law-suites so the Spouse of Christ is under Covert he secures her from the wofull effects of Sin and Wrath. 4. It is by Faith that we become interested in and related to Christ as a Surety Heb. 7.22 Christ is the Surety of a better Covenant and Testament If Jesus Christ had not undertaken to stand under feel and endure the curse of the Old violated Covenant of Works Deut. 27. last Gal. 3.10.13 and to Merit for us the Blessings of the New Covenant as a Priest of Good Things Gal. 3.14 Heb. 9.11 God would never have made a New Covenant or Tastament it is built on Christ's Suretyship as a Foundation Christ in this dissers from all other Testators that he Bequeaths nothing in his Testament but what he Merits by his Sufferings and purchases by his Death For whom is Christ a Surety And to whom doth the Benefit of Christ's Suretyship redound but to those that Believe on him their Ransom he paid their Debt he discharged As the Payment of a Surety is imputed to the Principal Debtor so the Payment of Christ is imputed to all Indebted Sinners that come to Christ and receive his Righteousness Rom. 5.17 it availes and advantages no others but God reckons Christ's Obedience and Satisfaction to every Believer Some have conceived * Witsus de Faedere that the word Imputation is borrowed from Arithmetick and keeping of Accounts God doth as it were keep a Book Isa 65.6 Behold it is Written before me Our Sins Transgressions and Provocations are as Debts set down in one Page of this Book and the Obedience Sufferings and Satisfaction of Christ is set down as it were in another Page of God's Book When God accounts the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ to us this Ballances the Account this Crosses the Book and makes all even between God and us God sets Christ's Obedience against our Disobedience his Righteousness against our Unrighteousness because we come into this Righteousness by Faith and trust on his Blood Psal 69.27 Rom. 3.25 God now saith Poor Souls let it be to you according to your Faith you trust in Christ's Righteousness 2. Pet. 1. so let it cloath and cover you and secure you from all your sins and the Curse of my Law As Christ is one with us in Nature as a Man so he is one with us in Law as a Surety Christ did put his Name into our Bond and was as a Surety bound in our Obligation that in a Righteous way he might blot our Sins out of God's Book and Insert our Names into his own Testament Jesus as a Surety vailed his own Innocency covered his own Personal Purity and Righteousness took on him our Sins became Heir of our Punishment and Curse that he might hide and cover our Sins and we become Heirs of his Righteousness and Blessings As the Sentence of Death passed against and was executed on Christ our Surety so we partake of Justification of Life and reign in Life through Jesus Christ Rom. 5.18 21. God punished our sins in Christ and God rewards Christ's Obedience and Sufferings in us Our Sins were punished in Christ's Condemnation his Obedience is rewarded in our Justification There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gift of Righteousness and for this there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free forgiveness of many Offences Rom. 5.16.17 This Glorious Name The Lord our Righteousness being put on us the Reproachful Chains of Guilt do fall off from us 4. Who is it that shall call Christ by this Name Answer 1. Such as know Jesus Christ John 5.20 He hath given us an understanding to know him that is true By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa 53.11 that is many by knowing of Jesus Christ shall be Justified Faith is called Knowledge because those that truly know Jesus Christ cannot but trust in him Psal 9.10 This is very observable that Christians are said to be Justified by the Knowledge of Jesus Christ it is not what we know in our selves or by our selves it is not by the knowledge of what we are or have done that we are Justified we must purely look off from our selves and wholly fix the eye of Faith on Christ Such as know the Insufficiency of their own Righteousness and the All-sufficiency of Christ's Righteousness do call him The Lord their Righteousness 2. Such as fly to Christ lay hold of him and do know their own Union with Christ and Relation to him such will say Surely in the Lord we have Righteousness Isa 45.24 A true Believer disclaims disavows and denies Righteousness to be in himself and Glories in this that he hath Righteousness in Christ 3. God may be said to call Jehovah our Righteousness when Jesus Christ is of God made Righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1.30 God the Father that Loaded Christ with our Sins Isa 53.6 he Clothes us with his Righteousness Isa 61.10 I will greatly Rejoyce in the Lord for he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness God gives Jesus Christ and with him gives his Righteousness Rom. 8.32 Quest Is not Repentance requisite in order to Pardon Isa 1.16 17 18. Wash you make you clean put away the euil of your doings cease to do evll and learn to do well Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll He that confesseth and forsakes his sin shall find mercy Prov. 28.13 Let the sinner forsake sake his ways and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and be will have mercy upon him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 Answ Repentance is necessary in its place
as an Antecedent not as a Cause or proper condition of Pardon Faith precedes in order of Nature and Repentance infallibly follows when we see the wonderful Grace of God that he stops and heales the Breach our Sins have made with the Dead Body of his Son quenched the Fire of his Anger with the Blood of his Son made War with him to make Peace with us Sheathed his Sword in his own Son that he might Draw it out Sheath it and for ever lay it asleep towards us This Grace of God softens hard Hearts melts the Rebellious and Obstinate Wills of Men. When we believe that God will repent of his Righteous Enmity against us this indures and inclines us to Repent of our unjust and wicked Enmity against him When we are perswaded that God is ready to heal us Matth. 13.15 this swayes us to desist from wounding him in his Authority and Glory when God declares he will turn from his Anger this influences sinners to change their mindes towards God and to turn from their Provocations and Rebellions against him How can Men possibly Love God or subject themselves to him if they Believe he is inexorable inflexible will Retain his anger pursue his Controversy and take Vengeance on Offenders for their former Transgressions If God will never open his Prison if he will shut up his Bowels against and pour out his Fury on Transgressors this will harden them against God But when they see God is not implacable this causes them to relent and induces them to return to God Jer. 3.22 God saith Return ye backsliding Children and I will heal your backslidings They Eccho to God Lo we come unto thee For thou art the Lord our God They believed God would forgive Iniquty and this influenced them to depart from Iniquity As God puts it away he will not impute it 2 Sam. 12.13 So we must put it away and not obey it Isa 2.16 17. As God will not remember Iniquity with anger so we must not remember it with delight when God casts Sin behind his back Isa 38.17 We must set no wicked thing before our eyes Psal 101.3 Repentance in Scripture is said to be to God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20.21 By Faith we first return to our Lord Jesus the great Shepherd 1 Pet. 2. last and then by Repentance we return to God the Father Jer. 3.22 As by Faith we receive the Righteousness of Christ Rom. 5.17 So by Repentance we Recognize the Rights of God the Dominion he hath over us as his Creatures and the advantage he hath against us as Sinners As Faith abases us in that we must fly to Christ for Righteousness so Repentance doth lower stoop and empty us that we must have Recourse to meer pure Mercy for our Pardon Faith humbles as to the matter for which we are Justified and Repentance humbles us as to the manner in which we are Justified as we are Justified by the Obedience and Redemption of Christ so we are also Justified freely by the Grace of God the Father Rom. 3.24 A Sinner then advances and magnifies Grace when he is cast down in himself when a Sinner seeth the Plague of his heart the Spiritual Leprosy of his Soul the Filthy Fountain of Iniquity that is in his Nature he abhors himself for the evil Treasure that is within and loathes himself for all the evil things that have been brought forth out of it The offender is now ashamed to lift up his Eyes to Heaven Luke 18.13 He blushes and is ashamed to look God in the Face Ezra 9.6 Innumerable evils now Compass the Sinner about his Iniquities take hold of him that he cannot look up Psal 40.12 As we are Justified by Faith so we Justifie God by Repentance 1. In his Commands Rom. 7.12.14 The Commandment is Holy Just and Good Holy with respect to God Just with respect to Man Good with respect to our selves 2. We Justifie God in all his threatenings Psal 51.3 4. David did acknowledg his Iniquity that God might be Justified when he did Speak and be clear when he did Judg. Whatever God had spoken against David however he had Judged him and his House by Nathan 2 Sam. 12.10 11 12.14 Whatever Judgments he had denounced as a War to rise out of his own House and the defiling of his Wives the death of his Child yet David doth Justifie God in all this Guilt did seale up his Lips shame did cover his Face he could enter no Action against God complain of no wrong done by him If God should cut down Barren Trees if he should Execute Condemned Creatures if he should Bury those in the Bottemless Pit that have been long Dead in Sin they confess they cannot spot him with Cruelty or blot him with Injustice Repentance is so far form lessening of or detracting from Grace that it commends heightens and exalts it that God should Justifie a Sinner that Arraigns himself and judges himself to be Guilty of Innumerable Transgressions and worthy of Eternal Death that God should cover those Sins in Mercy that were laid open and represented as exceeding Heinous and Sinful by the Transgressor himself the poor Publican could not plead but only petition he could mention no Righteousness of his within or good Works without he had nothing to look or fly to but Mercy only God be Mercyful to me a Sinner It is observable he doth not say My God be merciful to me a Sinner but God be Merciful to me a Sinner Adam accused Eve Eve accused the Serpent and so thought in some measure to excuse themselves but the Publican charged himself only I am the Sinner he accuses no other though Sinning yet presumptous Israel saith My God we know thee Hos 8.2 But this Publican pleads no relation to God claims no Interest in him yet he ventures to cast himself into the Arms of Mercy to lye down prostrate at the feet of Mercy And was not this Free and Rich Grace to cleanse a Spiritual Leper to wash one that accounts himself a Lump of Guilt and Filth To bind up a broken heart to Raise a Spirit bowed down and ready utterly to sink under a weight of Guilt To take away Filthy garments and to bring forth the best Robe to Cloath a naked Soul to kill the fatted Calf to Feast a Famishing Sinner If the very Redemption of Christ if his Attoning Sacrifice doth not detract from God's Free Grace Rom. 3.24 * Vid. Bolton on the place Surely the Sacrifice of a Broken Heart doth not Wrong or Rob Grace of its glory it was the express will and Law of God that on the very day of Attonement when Sacrifices were offered for Typical Expiation of Sin that the Israelites afflict their Souls Levet 16.29 Much more when we Beleive that Jesus Christ hath made a real Attonement for our Sins we must deeply afflict our Souls for our Iniquities that kindled the Wrath of God against us that procured so
Scripture had truly asserted that Abraham believed God his Faith wrought with his Works to evidence him a sincere Believer and his Faith was made perfect by his Works that is it was provided to be genuine the strength and power of it was declared as God's strength is said to be made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 that is discovered to be perfect 4. Paul speaks of the causes of Justification he searches after the Springs of it viz. Christ's Righteousness and Faith as receiving it but James speaks of the effects of Justification A Man whose Person is Justified before God will certainly Justifie his Faith and Sincerity before Men by Works of Righteousness 5. Paul speaks of the Justification of a Sinner James Treats of the Approbation of a Believer Paul discourses of the Righteousness that must Justifie viz. the Righteousness of Christ James Treats of the Faith that must Justifie of what kind and sort it must be not an Idle Lazy but a Working Faith Paul speaks of Justification before God Rom. 3.20 21. James of Justification before Men James 2.18 Shew me thy Faith prove it if thou canst to be a right Faith if it bring not forth Good Works 6. That James doth not speak of a proper Justification of the Person of a Man before God by Works is evident by several Arguments 1. The proper Justification of a Man is from Sins that he hath done not for Works of Righteousness that he hath wrought Good Works are not shewed before God's Tribunal but Iniquities are Covered Psal 32.1 2. Blessed is he whose sin is covered By Christ we have forgiveness of Sin and are Justified from all things from which we could not be Justified by the Law of Moses So that a Gospel Justification is a clearing us not from a false Charge but from a true Accusation Our Consciences do accuse convince and condemn us for sin John 8.9 Rom. 2.14 15. We know our Transgressions they are with us Isa 59.12 but there is no such charge of Hypocrisie that lies before God against true Believers and Saints They can appeal to God as Job Job 10.7 Lord thou knowest that I am not wicked My witness is in Heaven my Record is on high Job 16.19 Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee John 21.17 Therefore there is no proper Justification from a false Charge before God Works will only witness and Justifie from a false Charge before Men. 2. Nothing will properly Justifie us but what is Commensurate to the demands of the Law and that which will satisfie the Justice of God But there is no Obedience of ours that answers the Demands of the Law or will satisfie Justice therefore we cannot be Justified by our Works Yea Works are not the cause by which we are Justified for he that is Justified is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that worketh not Rom. 4.5 neither are Works a Causa sine qua non a Cause without which a Man is not Justified for he that is Justified is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ungodly Rom. 4.5 Abraham himself had been an Idolater Josh 24.2 and in that sense was Ungodly 3. Nothing will properly Justifie us but that which did Justifie Jesus Christ he could not be Justified except he had been fully conformable to the Commands of the Law and endured the Curse also Nothing will Justifie us the Debtors but what Justified Christ our Surety Therefore we cannot be Justified by our Works if we could then would Christ have Died in vain 4. In a proper Justification we are Justified before God Rom. 3.20 21. But our own Works cannot be imputed to us for a Righteousness before God because he seeth so many Faults Blemishes and Defects in them Philosophers say there are no pure Elements for they are mixed one with another and Divines may say there are no pure Duties and Performances in the best of Saints Paul Complains that he did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 go through with finish and perfect any Good Work 5. Our best works need a Pardon and therefore cannot be our Righteousness to Justifie us that which needs Forgiveness that which deserves Punishment cannot earn a reward and be accepted for a Justifying Righteousness we need an High-Priest to bear the Iniquity of our Holy things 6. If we could be Justified by our Good works we should Justifie our selves but it is God's act and not ours to Justifie It is God that Justifieth Rom. 8.33 7. In a true Justification we receive a Righteousness Rom. 5.17 And an Attonement Rom. 5.11 But our Works cannot make an Attonement for us or be a Righteousness to us 8. Works both before and after Faith are shut out from Justification before Faith Rom. 4.5 6. Rom. 3.21 22. The Righteousness of God is Manifested without the Law and the Apostle Paul not only suffered loss of all that he accounted his gain while a Pharisee but also after he was Converted he Esteemed all but Dung that he might win Christ Phil. 3.7 8 9. He durst not then dwell at home or be found in his own Righteousness 9. Abraham himself had not whereof to boast or wherein to Glory before God He could not find such a Righteousness in his Heart or such Works in his Life that he durst to trust to Hath Abraham our Father found as touching the Flesh Rom. 4.1 No surely he did not find any Righteousness or Works of his own to plead before God Therefore he that cannot find this Righteousness in himself had need to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 Though Moses was Eminently Holy yet when he drew near to God and saw that Terible Glory that appeared in the Mount he said I exceedingly Fear and Quake Heb. 12.21 He could not stand before the Law that he gave Saints have waved a Trial before God on the account of Works Psal 143.2 Though David was the Lord's servant though he did set the Judgments of God before him and was devoted to his Fear Psal 119.30 38. yet he deprecated a Trial before God on the account of his own Righteousness Enter not Lord into Judgment with thy Servant Why doth he pray so much against God's entring into Judgement with him The reason he gives is strong For in thy sight shall no Man Living be Justified For by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin Rom. 3.20 21. The Law was not given to Fallen Men to Justifie them but to discover their Sins By the Law comes nothing else to an unregenerate Man but the Knowledge of Sin it allows such no Good Works at all If the Law once discovers Sin in Men farewel a Justification by the Law for ever Faith cannot Justifie it self it is so weak and accompanied with such doubts staggerings and fears And how shall Works Justifie themselves that have such defects and defilements cleaving to them Observe these four Weighty Questions proposed in the Scripture 1. The Heart is deceitful and desperately wicked Who can know it Jer. 17 9.2 Who can
explicit acts of Faith be put forth What is become of a state of Justification Was David under Condemnation and the Curse while he lay long in a stupid state Surely he was a Justified Man or else he was out of Christ and fallen under the Curse It is said that God hath given Believers everlasting life 1 John 5.11 and that he who believeth hath everlasting life John 5.24 Is the Sentence of life Rom. 5.18 revoked by new acts of sin Is this gift of life retracted Is the blood of Christ wiped away from the Conscience by new Transgressions We read that the blood of Christ purgeth away sin 1 John 1.7 but never that sin purgeth away the blood of Christ and wipes it off from the Conscience Let not any here mistake me I am no Patron of Sin I do not plead for careless and loose walking if any indulge the Flesh they shall feel to their smart and cost that God hath Fatherly Anger Justice and Severity and the fruits of it are terrible God hides his Face suspends the comfortable and quickning Influences of his Spirit so that the heart is hardened Isa 63.17 the Church thus complains Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy Fear Jesus Christ withdraws himself and leaves the Soul in a dark doubting and disconsolate state Cant. 5.45.6 There are also sharp Temporal Afflictions laid on believers as that the Sword should not depart from David's House and that his Concubines should be defiled by Absalom 2 Sam. 12.10 11. yea there may be much Trouble and Terror of Conscience because Unbelief is strengthened by this new Guilt contracted and the Spirit of God is grieved and doth not powerfully apply testifie and seal Pardon till explicit acts of Faith and Repentance be put forth Yet I must assert this with the Scripture That Believers do not again a second time or more receive the Spirit of bondage to fear Rom. 8.15 The Spirit in the Word doth not testifie to a Believer that he is a Condemned Man in a state of Hostility with God and that God is his Enemy as it testifies to Unregenerate Men. Besides this is much to be considred that a Believer doth not Sin according to the New Man but according to the remainders of the Old Man It is not the new Graft that bears corrupt fruit but the old Stock Rom. 7.17 Now it is no more I that do it but Sin that dwelleth in me The New Man hates Sin consents to and delights in the Law of God as good Rom. 7.15 16.19.22.25 I my self serve the Law of God He that is born of God committeth not Sin He cannot Sin because born of God 1 John 3.9 How then can guilt redound on the whole person when the New Man that is the predominant party doth not Sin If it be said that Sin committed redounds on the person according to the Old Man this will amount to no more than Fatherly anger and Temporary Chastisements that fall on the Old Man that must decay be pulled down to the dust and perish but they shall not hinder the Salvation of the person according to the New Man It is true that Christ doth direct us dayly to pray for Pardon of Sins Matth. 6.12 And David did earnestly and frequently sollicit for Forgiveness Psal 51.1.7.9 But these Scriptures may be thus understood that Believers for it is of them only that I speak do deprecate the Fruits and effects of Gods Fatherly anger both in Temporal and Spiritual Judgments They petition for the turning away of God's Fatherly displeasure the removing of outward Afflictions and Spiritual Punishments the return of the sweet sense of Gods Favour the lifting up of the light of his Countenance on them the shedding abroad of his Love in them The removing of Temporal and Spiritual Judgements is both a proper and excellent Pardon If any be otherwise minded let them Answer a little Piece of Mr. Gilbert's written on this Subject Justified persons have a sure and strong standing in the Grace and Favour of God Rom 5.2 By Faith we have an entrance into this Grace in which we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Justified persons are Established firmly in the favour of God Though Hagar and Ismael were cast out of Abraham's House Gen. 21.10 12 13. yet Isaac the Child of the promise was still retained God loves Believers with the same love that he loves Christ with John 17. last And God's love to Christ is not mutable and changeable but fixed and certain Justified persons may therefore challeng all accusers Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is God that Justifieth Is there any higher Judge Is there any other Superiour Tribunal to which the person may be cited and his cause drawn It is Jesus Christ that Died and Rose again He was arrested and is released and discharged He was Baptized in a deep Sea of Sorrows and Sufferings yet was not drowned but Swam out to the Shores of a Blessed Eternity Yea he is ascended into the Heavenly Sanctuary to plead his blood and Represent his Righteousness And will not this stop the mouths of all gain-sayers and Silence all accusers We may now draw near to God the Judge of all as being assured he will not only Justifie us but also plead our cause against those that wrong us Christ now being ascended he lives to execute his own Testament and bestow his own Legacies Acts 5.31 To give Repentance and Remission of Sins The Mercies of the new Covenant are sure Mercies Isa 55.3 Acts 13.34 35. Because Christ is Dead and Risen again to give them Faith Jesus Christ in Heaven asks for the Travel of his Soul and the Purchase of his Blood and cannot be denied He interceeds with Authority There was a Crown of pure Gold about the Altar of incense Exod. 30.3 to intimate that our High-Priest doth interceed effectually and with Authority John 17.24 Father I will that those thou hast given me may be with me that they may see my Glory The Apostle Paul proposeth a Farther Question Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ and he thus answereth it himself I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death things present or things to come shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Love of God is fixed the Heart of God is centred on Jesus Christ and shall never depart or remove from him Christ is the strong and everlasting bond whereby Gods Love is secured and assured to us What greater security can God give us than his Oath to perswade us of the Immutability of his counsel God hath twice sworn that the Heires of promise might have strong Consolation God saith thus to the Church I have sworn that I will not be Wroth with thee that is to destroy thee nor Rebuke thee so as to disinherit thee Isa 54.9 And as God hath Sworn to secure us from the
Israel out of his sight and cast Judah and Jerusalem also out of his presence 2 Kings 24.20 And God removed Judah out of his sight 2 Kings 24.3 because the King and the People did evil in his sight 2 Kings 24.9 19. They were not cast out of the sight of God's Omniscient Eye but from the Eye of his gracious and Fatherly Providence 3. God will at last Rain a Hell from his Angry Face 2 Thes 1.9 Those that known not God and obey not the Gospel shall be Punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Face of the Lord the same Face shall shine a Heaven of Happiness into the Souls of the Saints and shall Frown an Hell of Misery into the Souls of the Wicked 2. If God hide his Face from our Sins Love will come up into his Face and look out at his Eyes on Believers and Saints Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance on us the Love that was secret and hidden in the Heart comes up into his Face and is manifested to and shed abroad in the Hearts of Believers by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 Cant. 8.10 I found Favour in his Eyes Love and Kindness sparkles in and looks out from the Eyes God looks with a pleasing Countenance on his People the Spiritual Day doth break and Dawn and the Sun of Righteousness doth Arise and Shine in the Hearts of Believers Malachy 4.2 Psa 130.5 6. and the Countenance of God is said to behold the upright Psal 41. last that is with complacency and delight he withdraweth not his Eyes from the Righteous Job 36.7 He sets his Eyes on them for good Jer. 24.6 I will set mine Eyes on them for good If Sin be not set before God's Face God may take good out of his Treasury for us and bestow it on us Hos 14.2 yea God will set us before his Face for Ever Psal 41.12 That we may still dwell in his Presence Psal 140. last and behold his Face in Righteousness Psal 17. last Psal 16. last 2. It is most desirable for God to blot out all our Iniquities for 1. It is the most dreadful Evil and Curse that can be wished for Sin not to be bloted out Psal 109.14 Let not the Iniquity of his Mother be blotted out 2. If God do not blot out Iniquitie he may by sudden Judgement and sore Vengeance blot persons out of the Land of the Living Gen. 7.4 Every Living Substance that I have made I will destroy in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will blot out Corrupt Men are Evil lines of being and it is said It repented God that he had made Man on the Earth it greived him at his Heart Gen. 6.5 Man is so cross and contrary to the very end of his Creation that God did blot out the Old World of Men by the Flood if Men are bloted out of the World in their Sins Where must they be lodged but in a miserable Eternity 3. If we consider what Sin is What a valuable Mercy is it for it to be bloted out 1. It is a mist a thinner or a thicker Cloud according to its Nature and aggravations Isa 44.22 I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy Transgressions and as a Cloud thy Sins Sin is as a hiding Cloud it hinders the light of God's Countenance from shining on us Isa 59.2 Your Sins have hid his Face from you 2. It is as a storming Cloud Psal 11.6 The Lord will rain Fire and Brimstone on the Wicked this shall be the portion of their cup. If Men suffer here They are cast into the hand of their Transgression Job 8.4 In the Hebrew it is That God did cast Job's Children into the hand of their Transgression If their Iniquities are punished hereafter they do for them fall into the hands of God Heb. 10.31 2. Sin is a debt Matth. 6.12 Forgive us our debts These debts are recorded in the Creditor's Book God saith Behold it is written before me Isa 65.6 and it is registred also in the debter's Book Jer. 17.1 It is written it is graven that is the Sin of Judah on the Table of their Heart Sin is called a debt because the Sinner owes God Glory to be raised out of his Sufferings and Eternal Torments And it is desirable this debt should be blotted out to prevent God's arrest and our Eternal Imprisonment 3. Sin is a crime a capital crime and that which is kept safe as matter of accusation against the Sinner It is as it were sowed up in a bag Job 14.17 As the depositions of Witnesses and the confessions of Malefactors are kept safe against the Assizes and day of Trial. Yea Mens Sins are sealed up among God's Treasures Deut. 32.34 God speaks of the Israelites bitter and corrupt Fruit and then puts this question Is not this laid up in store with me Is it not scaled up among my Treasures God hath a Treasury of knowledg of all past things and Sins are sealed up among these Treasures But what a kind of capital crime is Sin I answer 1. It is Rebellion against God I have Nourished and brought up Children and they have Rebelled against me A Rebellious Subject with us a Rebellious Son among the Jews was put to Death What Homage do we owe to God our King What Obedience should we render to God our Father 2. Sin is Spiritual Whoredom and Adultery Hos 4.12 They have gone a Whoring from under their God Thou hast destroyed such as go a Whoring from thee Psal 73.27 Adultery was capital it was punished with death by the Law of God Men loath God and love the Creature 3. Sin is Robbery and Stealing Mal. 3.8 Ye have Robbed me God saith My Son give me thy Heart Prov. 23.26 But the Heart of Men goeth after their Coveteousness Ezek. 33.31 Though they are by Baptism and a Solemn Covenant devoted to God yet they Sacrilegiously alienate themselves from God Isa 24.5 They broke the Everlasting Covenant Is it not our benefit to have our Crimes blotted out 4. If Sin be not blotted out God cannot write his Laws in our Hearts Jer. 31.33 34. God promiseth to write his Laws in the Heart And why It is thus answered vers 34. For I will forgive their Iniquity and I will Remember Sin no more Forgiveness of Sin is the root of all the Promises and Covenant-Blessings 5. God cannot record any Good thoughts words or works of ours if Sin be not blotted out Mal. 3.16 A Book of Remembrance was written before him for those that feared the Lord and thought on his Name Sin doth so corrupt and stain our best Works that nothing might be recorded for our honour or advantage Nehemiah prays that God would not wipe out his good deeds Neh. 13.14 6. If Sins be not blotted out the time is coming when God's Book will be opened Revel 20.12 God will review Men's Sins look on them and
seek for Israel and Judah's sin I Answer Satan the Babylonians the Enemies of the Church of God The Chaldeans said they did not offend in Killing and Captivating the Jews because they sinned against the Lord Jer. 50.7 And as their sins brought them into Captivity so they thought they would still have held them in Bondage they sought for their sins to hold them in perpetual slavery and to keep the Yoke on them Satan resisted Joshua the High-Priest and seems not only to charge him but also to accuse the Jews and therefore Christ the Angel saith The Lord that chose Jerusalem rebuke thee Zech. 3.1 2. The filthy Garments are taken from Joshua and his Iniquities did pass away Zech. 3.4 And God promiseth to remove the Iniquity of the Land in one day Zech. 3.9 and so though the Babylonians sought the Jews sins yet they were not found 5. God himself will be a hiding-place to those from whose sins he hides his Face Psal 119.114 Thou art my hiding-place and my shield Psal 143.9 I flee unto thee to hide me * The Judge himself is a Hiding-place As the Secret of God is with their Souls to comfort them Psal 25.14 so the Secret of God is on their Tabernacles Job 29.4 to protect them They are the most likely Persons to be hid in the day of Wrath Zeph. 2.3 yea God hides them in the very Grave Job 14.13 O that thou would'st hide me in the Grave until thy wrath be past We must come to God to hide us from his own Wrath. As the Souls of Saints are hid in Heaven from eternal evils so their Bodies are hid in the Grave from Temporal Sufferings The Grave that is a Prison to the Wicked to reserve them in for Eternal Vengeance is to Believers a Hiding-place from Temporal Afflictions 6. If God hide his Face from our sins we shall see his Face in Ordinances here and in Glory hereafter 1. They shall see God's Face in Ordinances here David longed to see God's Power and Glory as he had seen it in the Sanctuary Psal 65.2 They may call on God and he will be gracious to them and they shall see his Face with joy Job 33.26 2. They shall see his Face in Glory Revel 22.4 They shall see his Face and his Name shall be in their Forehead As for me saith David Psal 17. last I will behold thy Face in Righteousness 3. We have in these days of the Gospel great Incouragements strong Inducements to prefer this Petition God did for a time cloud and hide his Face from Christ did cut him off and blot him out of the Land of the Living Psal 22.1 Isa 53.8 Jesus Christ entred into deep waters Psal 69.1 2. the floods of Sorrow Reproach and Sufferings did overflow him and now we may cry to God out of our depths Psal 130.1 Out of the depths have I cried to thee O Lord out of a depth of Guilt Trouble and Anguish Jesus Christ came into the Depths and we may confidently cry to God to raise us out of our Depths The Blood of Christ as to Worth and Merits is a deep Sea and we may trust on God through Christ to drown our sins in the depth of this Red-Sea Micah 7.19 Thou wilt cast-all their Sins into the depths of the Sea Christ hath provided Spiritual Red-ink enough Though Christ shed his Blood but once yet God may 1000 and 10000 times over dip his Pen in the Blood of Christ and blot out all our Sins we Commit It was painful to Christ to shed his Blood but it is pleasant to him to wash Souls in it A dark night came on Christ but we may wait for the dawning of a Comfortable and Joyful Morning Psal 130.5.6 The Righteousness is brought by which we may be Justified the Blood is shed in which we may be washed from all our Sins 1 John 1.7 Men did hide their Faces from Christ under his Sufferings as a ghastly ungrateful object Isa 50.3 Being so Buffeted Spit on Crowned with Thorns but we may lift up our Faces to him being now Justified by the Father Seated in his Throne and Crowned with Glory I shall speak something by way of Direction both how we may obtain the blotting out of our Sins and how we ought to walk sutable and answerable to so great a Mercy 1. We must see and know our Sins be sensible of them afflicted for them burdened under them Psal 51.3 I acknowledge or as others Render the Hebrew word I know my Iniquity Isa 59.12 As for our Iniquities we know them Why did the Psalmist so earnestly beg that God would blot out his Transgressions and wash him from his Iniquities He renders this reason of his petition I know my Transgressions that is how much they offend and provoke thee and how much they defile and deform me He that is not burdened will not cry to be eased he that is not wounded will not sue to be healed he that beholds not his debt will not press for the cancelling of his bond And we must see Sin and abhor and detest it and forsake it Shall we seek to God to put it away as Evil and yet we harbour it in our Hearts and indulge it in our practice as good It must be hid not only from the Eye of God's vindictive Justice but also from the Lustful Adulterous eye of our Souls 2. You must see Christ and Believe on him John 6.40 He that seeth the Son and Believeth on him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life The Curses of the Law are Amen to those that are out of Christ Deut. 27. last But the Promises of the Gospel are Yea and Amen to those that are in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 If Christ had not carried our Sins upon the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 we must have born them and they would have sunk us down into the Bottomless pit Though God doth pardon and put away Sin Judicially as a King 2 Sam. 12.13 yet it is Jesus Christ that puts it away Meritoriously as a Priest Heb. 9.26 As you know your Iniquities so you must know Christ to take them away Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my Righteous servant Justifie many for he shall bear their Iniquities He did bear them for a time that they might not be bound on us to Eternity 3. We must earnestly desire God not only to hide his face from our Sins but also to turn our eyes from beholding vanity Psal 119.37 How sweetly do these two petitions harmonize and agree Lord hide thy Face from my Sins and turn away my eyes from beholding vanity Lord sheath thy Sword towards me and lay thy ax to the root of in-dwelling Sin Lord forgive all my wrong steps and wandrings and Lord order my steps in thy word and let no Iniquity have Dominion over me Psal 119.133 Lord blot my Sins out of thy Book mortifie them in and root them out of my Heart I have wandred from thee I have
walked contrary to thee too Long already but now Lord quicken and lead me in the way Everlasting Psal 119.37 Psal 139. last 4. Your Sins must still be before you to humble you Psal 51.3 Though they are not before God's Face to destroy you Psal 109.14 15. Though God will not Remember them to throw you down to Hell for them Jer. 41.14 yet you must Remember them Ezek. 36.31 to cast you down to the dust for them 5. You must set no evil thing before you Psal 101.3 you must not delight in any Sin or practise it Shall God cast Sin behind his back and shall you set it before your Face 6. You must still Set the Statutes and Laws of God before you Psal 119.30 I have chosen the way of truth thy Judgements have I set before me As a Scholar sets his Copy before him orders his pen and shapes his Letters by it so we must eye the Rule and govern our actions by the Law of God 2d Branch of the use of Exortatiom Is the blotting out of Sin so valuable a Mercy Is the hiding of God's Face from your Transgressions so desirable a thing O then be exceeding thankful for it Hos 14.2 Take away Iniquity so will we render the calves of our lips Ascribe Glory to him that hath loved you and washed you from your Sins in his own Blood Revel 1.5 6. This is a Mercy that seems to work things that are contrary it shuts the Mouth Ezek. 16. last and yet it opens the Lips Psal 51.15 it shuts the mouth from boasting or pleading our own works Ezek. 16. last That thou mayest Remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more Because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done But pardon opens the lips to praise God Psal 51.14.15 Deliver me from Blood Guiltiness and my Tongue shall Sing aloud of thy Righteousness open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Guilt seales up the lips and deads the Heart as to praising of God The Gentiles were unthankful for all their common benefits Rom. 1.21 but it was God's great design to bring them to Glorifie him for Reconciling Justfying and pardoning Mercy Rom. 15.9 that the Gentiles may Glorifie God for his Mercy O therefore Glorifie God for pardoning of you 1. That Sin which was before God's Face Hos 1.2 should be cast behind his back Isa 8.17 2. You have hid your Faces from God and his Laws Jer. 2.27 Ezek. 22.26 God charges the Isarelites that they hid their eyes from his Sabbaths turned to him the back and not the Face Ezek. 23.35 that they cast his word behind their back Psal 50.17 and cast himself behind their backs And is not this a strange return a wonderful Retaliation that God should cast the Sins of Transgressours behind his back Isa 38.17 3. If God had not in Mercy hid his Face from your Sins he would in Wrath have hid his Face from your Souls Psal 27.9 Hide not thy Face far from me put not away thy servant in anger This we deserved if God not turned himself from his fierce anger Psa 85.3 he might have been angry with us every day Psal 7.11 we might have spent all our days in his Wrath Psal 90.9 yea God might have been angry with us for ever and drawn out his Wrath to all Eternity Psal 85.65 What Grace is this that God will not keep anger for ever Jer. 2.13 but will keep Mercy for ever Psal 89.28 4. If God's anger had not been turned away Hos 4.4 our Sins would have hid God's Face Isa 59.2 and have turned away good things from us Jer. 5.26 5. That God should hide his Face from Christ for a time Psal 22.23 that he might not hide his Face from us for Eternity Christ by his Suretyship made a breach for Sorrow and Suffering to flow in upon himself that he might stop the breach that Wrath and destruction might not break in and overwhelm us 6. Our Lusts would have drowned us in destruction but Christ hath drowned them in the deep Read-sea of his own Blood Tim. 1.6 Micah 7.18.19 7. That God that hides his Face from ous Sins desires to see our Faces as Supplicants and petitioners Cant. 2.14 yea Jesus Christ Interceeds that we may see and partake of his Glory John 17.24 2 Thes 2.14 That Clouds of darkness may be for ever scattered an Inheritance in light and Crowns of Glory be obtained FINIS BOOKS Printed for Tho. Parkhurst THe Great Duty of Christians to go forth without the Camp to Jesus in several Sermons on Heb. 13.13 Supplication to the Soveraign Judge the Duty of the best of Men in several Sermons on Job 9.15 A Discourse in several Sermons on 1 Pet. 3.19 by which also he went and Preached unto the Spirits in Prison A Discourse of Christ's 2d Coming and the purging of his Kingdom in 2 Sermons on Mat. 13.41 ERRATA PAge 8. l. 9. dele or p. 10. l. 25. dele in p. 12. l. 26 for Eccles 2.20 r. Gal. 1.14 p. 14. l. 25. for stretch r. refresh p. 20. l. 6. for dyed r. dipt p. 27. l. 8. dele 3dly p. 28. l. 18. for Psal 92.24 r. Dan. 9.24 p. 29. l. 1. dele Salvation p. ibid. l. 25. for Rom. 8.3 r. Rom. 9.33 p. 31. l. 7. for our r. but p. 33. l. 7. for God r. Goel p. 34. l. 19. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 35. l. 19. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 36. l. 9. for rising r. risen p. 36. l. 28 29. r. Ludovae de Dieu in locum p. 37. l. 20. r. the Title of the Psalm p. 39. l. 6. for Exod. 20. r. Exod. 29. p. 40. last l. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 47. l. 13. for Hearts r. Breasts p. 49. l. 17. after will r. save p. 60. l. 20. for being r. bring p. 61. l. 27. for share r. snare p. 62. l. 25. for alledgers r. accusers p. 74. l. 21. for vale r. Vail p. 78. l. 1. r. few p. ibid. l. 18. for first r. sins p. 86. l. 12. for Jeopardy r. Leopards p. 109. l. 22. add a Pet. 11. p. 144. l. 16. r. under the Law p. 154. l. 2. r. Bride p. 160. l. 15. add Cant. 3.9 10. p. 164. l. 8. for Cor. r. Collos p. 189. l. 13. for right v. rite p. 208. in the Margin for Bolton r. Rolloc p. 212. last Line for aiding r. hiding p. 214. l. 26. for provided r. proved p. 222. for we r. he p. 249. l. 26. for form r. from p. 250. l. 4. for Justified r. Sanctified p. 270. l. 6. for form r. from p. 296. l. 3 4. for to distill r. God is still and l. 8. for Numb 9. r. Levit. 6.9 p. 314. l. 15. for being r. body p. 327. l. 9. for absolete r. obsolite p. 362. l. 9. r. he procured and we received all good p. 370. l. last for righteous r. unrighteous p. 380. l. 26. for Pardoned r. Rewarded
us that he who hath imposed righteous Commands on us and hath denounced for our disobedience righteous Threatnings against us should to secure and preserve us or be made Righteousness to us This is admirable and wonderful that Jehovah should provide a Laver to wash us and work out a Righteousness to cloath and adorn us This is such a rare and stupendious thing that the Son of God by this gracious Condescention to us by this merciful Provision for us hath acquired a new honourable and everlasting Name The Words afford us two Points of Doctrine 1. That in Christ's Days Judah and Israel Jew and Gentile shall be most eminently and signally saved 2. That Jesus Christ is and shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Doct. 1. That in Christ's Days Judah and Israel Jew and Gentile shall be most eminently saved For the prosecuting of this Doctrine 1. I shall shew you what Days are meant and intended by the Days of Christ 2. What this Salvation is that shall be given forth in his Days 3. Why Salvation is by way of Excellency said to be bestowed in his days and then more eminently communicate 1. What days are meant by the Days of Christ Ans The Days that begin from the incarnation of the Son of God and continue and run on to his second coming these in Scripture are called his Days Psal 72.7 In his Days shall the Righteous flourish and these days are Long days for it followeth and an abundance of Peace there shall be as long as the Moon endureth So that the days of the Messiah do run parralel with the Moon as to their duration God had promised to him that he should prolong his Days and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his Hand Isa 53.10 It is a wonderful Condescention that he whose goings forth were from everlasting and was ancienter than days should take an Humane Nature and live a life in it that should be measured by days The Time since Jesus Christ was exhibited and manifested to the World is called his days 2. What is this Salvation that Jesus Christ bestoweth I shall shew you 1. The Nature 2ly The Properties and Adjuncts of this Salvation I shall first explain the Nature of it This Salvation hath two parts 1. A Privative 2. A Positive part 1. A Privative part It is Salvation from the most dreadful Evils 1. It is Salvation from Sin Matth. 1.21 thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins 2 Tit. 14. he gave himself to redeem us from all Iniquity His Blood is the precious Red Ink to blot out our Transgressions and the most wonderful Red Seas to drown the Spiritual Egyptians the Host of our Iniquities in Christ was but baptized in the deep Waters of sorrow and sufferings but he drowned for ever all our sins God made war with Christ to make peace with us Zech. 13.7 God saves by Remission of Sins Luke 77. and by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.4 5. God made him an instance of Severity that we might be eternal Monuments of Mercy 2. Christ saves from wrath Jesus delivers from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. last Being justified by his Blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.9 The Apostle doth not mention whose wrath but means the wrath of God This wrath is so formidable and terrible that all other wrath is as nothing doth not deserve the Name of wrath it is but a false or painted Fire a Bubble an empty Name and sound God can array all the Creatures as his Hosts in Heaven and Earth to fight against Sinners He can awaken and stir up Conscience to accuse and condemn the Sinner and so make him both a Burden and a Terrour to himself God can remember and set all our Trangressions before our Sight and fix our Eyes on this dreadful and dismaying Object that they shall never divert or look off from it God can pursue Sinners with punishment in this world and meet them with more dreadful vengeance in another World he can strike and support the Criminal at once he can blow up the Fire of his Anger and preserve the Souls and Bodies of Sinners to be eternal Fuel to it he can make extremity and eternity of Misery to meet in the same Person It is amazing wrath to make a bundle of Tares to subsist and continue in the Furnace for ever to be immortal Fuel to an eternal Fire It is from this dreadful wrath that Jesus Christ saves his People 2. There is a positive part of this Salvation 1. Jesus Christ saves and quickens us The Dead hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live John 5.25 As God breathed the Breath of Life into Adam's formed Body and he became a living Soul Gen. 2.7 so Christ breathed on his Apostles and said Receive you the Holy Ghost John 20.22 the Life of Saints is a Beam of and a stream from the Life of Christ Eccl. 2.20 How noble is their Life They live by Christ's living in them through the Spirit they are ingrafted into Christ are Branches of the true Tree of Life they are in him who is the true God and Eternal Life 1 John 5.20 2ly Christ saves them and builds them Zech. 6.12 13. The Branches should grow up out of his Place and he should build the Temple of the Lord we fell and were ruined in and by Adam and we lay in Ruines and Rubbish till Christ doth lift up his Feet to our Desolations doth with Pity behold and in Mercy raise up our Ruins Satan dwells in and rejoices over these Ruins Those that are pulled down with respect to God may be said to be built up with respect to Satan as Ruins of a House are of no use to us so ruined Creatures are altogether unprofitable to God Rom. 12. O this is great Mercy for Satan to be dispossed and ejected and for Souls to be framed as a holy House and to be built up as a Spiritual Temple for God to inhabit and be worshipped in Those that are God's Temples are animated by his Spirit and are filled with his Glory at once they are framed to be a Habitation for God and fitted to be Inhabitants with him in the Heavenly Jerusalem 3. Christ saves waters and improves our dry Ground our Barren Land Isa 44.3 God saith he will pour water on him that is thirsty and Floods on the dry Ground And God thus explains the meaning of this Metaphor I will pour my Spirit on thy Seed and my Blessing on thy Off-spring We are by Nature a wretched dry and barren piece of Ground we did ly upon improvement to none but to the Heavenly Husbandman it was the second Adam only that could enrich such a hungry and dry Ground he that can give the Spirit as Rivers of Living Water John 7.37 38 39. He invites Sinners to come and drink
when a Sacrifice was offered he bid him to put up his Sword 1 Chron. 21.27 So in the times of the Law God did but as it were stay his Hand Sins were said to be passed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the forbearance of God that Time is called a Time of Forbearance and God staid his Hand from punishing those that did look to Christ to come But now the great Sacrifice is offered up God's Sword is sheathed and he can magnify Grace through the sacrifice and satisfaction of Christ it may reign through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ Rom. 5.20.21 Jesus Christ being lifted upon the Cross will draw all to him John 12.32 All that is very many compared with the few that were drawn before a Dying Saviour 3dly Christ hath now paid a Ransom Matth. 20.28 and purchased a Church by his own Blood Acts 20.28 And therefore Christ hath now just ground to come to the Prison Door of Sinners and to call them forth Isa 49.9 That thou maist say to the Prisoners go forth and to them that are in darkness shew your selves Come with boldness into the presence of God appear and shew your selves with confidence in the Heavenly Sanctuary He that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Redeemer hath just Ground to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Deliverer Rom. 11.26 shall he Ransom and not Rescue shall he buy and not possess hath not Christ a just claim to what he hath purchased to take possession of it 4thly Christ hath now sealed confirmed and established his Testament by means of Death Heb. 9.15 He that might have given a Sanction to to the Threatning by our Blood and have executed the Curse in our Death hath ratified the Promises and confirmed his Testament by his own Death Christ hath given Vigour and Strength to the Promises by his being Crucified through weakness 2 Cor. 13.4 and hath given Life to his Testament by his own Death and he is rising again to be his own Executor Now he can fulfil the Promises of the New Covenant and bestow the Legacies of his new Testament and that especially because Christ is such a Testator as by his death doth purchase of God all the Legacies he bequeaths in his Testament which no other Testator doth All the Mercies of the Everlasting Covenant are the sure Mercies of this Spiritual David Isa 55.3 they are sure because Jesus Christ is risen from the Dead to bestow them Acts 13.34 And certainly Christ may freely and lawfully give forth his own 5hty Now Christ is saved and therefore in a full capacity to save others Zech. 1.9 Thy King cometh to thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salvatus ipsemet ut de brevi transitu in locum Saved Christ had many Adversaries and did encounter with mighty Enemies they endeavoured totally to crush Christ and wholly to swallow him up it was of great concernment to the whole Church of God that Christ should be saved The Holy Ghost therefore dictated that Prayer to the Saints to be put up for Christ Psal 118.25 Save now we beseech thee we heseech thee now send Prosperity now was the time of War and utter Destruction there were many associated and united against Jesus Christ Acts 4.25 26 27. He is stiled Child Jesus Enemies thought easily to destroy him Herod Pontius Pilate the Jews and the Gentiles Many Dogs were hunting down this Morning Hart Psal 22. and the Title of Psal 16. And it was that which the Church desired and Christ himself also pray'd for that he might be delivered from their cruel and devouring Mouths Psal 69.29 I am Poor and Needy let thy Salvation set me up on high And Christ was heard in what he pray'd for He was taken from Prison and Judgment Isa 53.8 From Man's Prison Tribunal and Judgment and God did set him up on high even in a glorious Throne far above the reach and rage of all his Enemies that Christ that is so perfectly saved himself can fully save us He that did wrest himself out of the Hands of his Foes can also rescue us from the Power of all our Enemies the day of Christ's Weakness is past 2 Cor. 13.4 and the day of his Power is now come Psal 110.3 6thly Christ is now Perfected and being made Perfect he is fit to become the Author of Eternal Salvation to those that obey him Heb. 5.9 The Captain of our Salvation is made perfect through Sufferings and can lead to Glory Heb. 2.10 All the Rounds or Rongs of the Spiritual Ladder that reacheth from Earth to Heaven are compleat Gen. 28.12 13 14. with Rom. 5.33 34. Christ hath cloathed himself with our Flesh he hath died is risen again is ascended to Heaven is at the Right Hand of God to make Intercession for us His Priestly Garments are sprinkled with his own Blood and so he is fitted to enter into the Heavenly Sanctuary and to appear in the Presence of God the Sons of Aaron were to have their Priestly Garments sprinkled with the Blood of a Sacrifice before they could officiate in the Sanctuary Exod. 20.21 Christ's own Death did consecrate him as a Priest for ever and perfect him for the great work of Intercession Heb. 7. last 7thly Christ is now Victorious over all his and our Enemies he hath overcome the World John 16. last he hath made Reconciliation for Iniquity yea made an end of sin Dan. 9.24 he hath abolished Death 2 Tim. 1.10 by tasting it for a few Hours he hath swallowed it up for ever By Death he hath destroy'd him that hath the power of Death even the Devil Heb. 2.15 As a Goaler hath the power of the Law to keep a Malefactor in Prison and the Executioner hath the power of the Law to put him to Death so Sinners hath broken the Law and incurred the Penalty Satan hath the power of the Curse to cut off and destroy Sinners But Christ hath spoiled Principalities and Powers turned Satan out of his Office stript him of his Power as to those that believe The Curse is the Armour that this Strong Man trusts in Luke 11.22 And Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law by being made a Curse himself Gal. 3.13 And Christ hath now the Key of Hell and Death the Key of Hell to shut it that the Souls of his People may not enter into it and the Key of Death to rescue and bring forth the Bodies of his People out of the Grave He hath led Captivity Captive Psal 68.18 and triumphed over the Enemies of our Salvation the Captain of our Salvation is entred in triumph into his Royal City above as he hath overcome in his own Person so now he can overcome in us His strength is perfected in our weakness It is discovered to be most perfect when we are most weak and low when we seem as Christ's Soldiers to lye in the open Field and to be exposed to manifold Inconveniences and Sufferings from the rage and fury
of the World then the power of Christ is spread as a Tent over us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 12.9 Christ the Captain of our Salvation can be present with and mighty in all his Soldiers and ride in triumph through the World on poor Worms He that hath wounded the Head of the Old Serpent and broke the strength of Satan is able to foil all his scatter'd Forces that yet remain Rev. 6.2 He rideth forth Conquering and to Conquer and turneth the Battel even to the Gates of Hell Isa 28.6 Christ the true David doth succour his People out of the Heavenly City 2 Sam. 18.3 and send to his Fighting Soldiers the Supplies of his Spirit Phil. 1.19 8thly Christ is alive and lives for evermore Rev. 1.18 And Christ doth not live idly but to make intercession for all that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 He lives to execute his Testament sprinkle his Blood and apply his Redemption Paul reasoneth thus Rom. 5.10 If we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more shall we be saved by his Life Christ hath gone through with the most hard difficult and painful part of his work he gave his Life a Ransom he poured out his Soul unto the Death and will he neglect or omit the easiest part of his work He may live and save us he needs not to bleed again to go forth into any more Storms or to be set up as a Mark of God he may sit in his Throne he may wear his glittering Crown and reign in his Glory and do al the rest that is requisite to accomplish and compleat our Salvation Because Christ liveth his People shall live also John 14.19 Christ liveth and therefore his Interest shall not die in the World Our Redeemer liveth to quicken our Spirits Job 19.25 26. Now by his Spirit to receive our departing Souls and to revive our dead Bodies Christ is alive to woo his Spouse Cant. 8.8 and marry her Romans 7.4 to assault and subdue his Enemies Isa 42.13 14. Rev. 6.2 I shall come now to the use of the Doctrine Vse 1. Shall Men be most eminently saved in Christ's Days then we may be inform'd of the wonderful Mercy of God of the admirable Grace of Christ that we have such days of the Messiah The days due to Sinners are days of Punishment days of Vengeance Luke 21.22 A day of Evil a day of Destruction is properly called a Sinners day Psal 37.13 The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his Day is coming Ezek. 21.25 And thou Prophane Prince of Israel whose day is come when Iniquity shall have an end By these Passages of Scripture we may see what days Sinners deserve and what days they might have looked for If God had dealt with the World according to the rigour of his Justice the Threatnings and Curse of his Law there would have been no other days but the days of the first Adam In his days Sin reigns unto Death and Death reigns Rom. 5.14.21 How terrible would it have been if there had been no other days but days for Sin and Death to Reign in It is through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we have an Accepted time and a day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 Otherwise Men would do nothing else but sow the Seeds of Woe here and reap a full Harvest of Misery hereafter They would sin in this World and suffer in the World to come they would walk contrary to God in time and God would walk contrary to them to Eternity Vse 2. If Sinners are saved most eminently in Christ's Days O then examine your selves whether Christ's Salvation be applied to you whether God doth cloth you with the Garments of Salvation Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord that hath cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation Have you obtained the Salvation that is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.10 Try your selves by proposing to your own Souls these following Questions 1. Were your Eyes ever opened liberty of sight makes way for liberty of Soul the opening of Mens Eyes is the first step that Christ takes towards their Salvation Isa 42.7 He is appointed to open the Blind Eyes to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison and them that sit in darkness out of the Prison-house As those Jews that were born in Babylon if they were not better inform'd would account Chaldea to be the Native Country of their Fathers and that they had always dwelt there and so be contented to stay in the Land of their Captivity They therefore needed to have their Eyes opened that they might know that Chaldea and the other Countries under the Babylonish Empire were the Land of their Captivity That God in wrath had slung them out into this strange Country Jer. 10.16 That their sins had driven them hither and scattered them among their Enemies Even so Sinners need to have their Eyes opened that they may know whose they are and where they are Men do not acknowledge and consider that they are under the Law of Sin the power of Satan and the wrath of God Sinners do not know themselves to be Condemned Men and Women shut up under a Sentence of Death and reserved to the Day of Wrath and Execution Job 21.30 Men are as careless and unconcerned as if they had not degenerated and fallen from God as if their Natures were not corrupted and depraved as if Mankind never knew a better state but were always as vitious loose and wicked as now they are Could Sinners be so quiet yea be so merry and jovial as they are if they knew they were God's Prisoners and that the Day of Judgment and Vengeance was at hand Consider therefore how it is with you did God ever open your Eyes and let in Light into your dark Prison Did you ever feel the Chains of Guilt that are about you the burden of Iniquity that is upon you Have you ever applied the Threatnings and Curse of the Law to your own Souls and so have in the bitterness of your Souls cried out that you are undone None are fit to be Christ's Patients but such as are broken in Heart or are capable of Christ's Comforts if they be not first Mourners in Zion Isa 61.1.2 The Prodigal came to himself and was sensible of his Misery before he took a Resolution that he would arise and come to his Father Luke 25.17.18 Did you ever see your worst and most dangerous Enemies to be within you Have you been made sensible of your vain Minds hard and whorish Hearts and carnal Affections 2. Were you ever effectually called 2 Tim. 1.9 He hath saved and called as with an holy Calling Hath God called you so as to save you from your unbelief and impenitency Hath God spoken to you with a strong hand Isa 8.11 Hath he laid the hand of his Power on your Hearts The Angels spake to Lot with a strong hand they did not only exhort him to hasten
and be gone out of Sodom but when he lingred they laid hold on the Hand of Lot of his Wife and of his Two Daughters and brought them out of Sodom Gen. 19.15 16. Even so Christ speaks with a strong hand to the Spouse Cant. 5.2.4.5 He not only pleaded and used Arguments why she should rise and open to him but he put in the Hand of his Spirit by the Hole of the Door His Hand was as a Key fitted to the Wards of the Lock he touched her Breasts and moved her Bowels wrought on her Affections and then she rose to open to her Beloved Hath Christ ever apprehended you as he did Paul Phil. 3.12 It is said the Converted Gentiles should follow the Church in Chains Isa 45.14 They shall come after thee in Chains Hath Christ cast sweet Chains of Light and Love about your Souls and thereby Powerfully draw you 3. Did you ever fly for Refuge and come to Christ The Heirs of Promise are said to fly for Refuge to take hold of the hope set before them Heb. 6.17 18. Men will not fly if they do not see a Cause and know a danger that is towards them Hath it been with you as with Noah's Dove it did fly Abroad but found all to be cover'd with Water and that there was no rest for the sole of her Feet and therefore she returned to the Ark and Noah stretched out his Hand and pluck'd her unto him into the Ark Gen. 8.39 So have you seen nothing but a Deluge of sin and wrath out of Christ and therefore have fled to him and he hath stretched out the Hard of his Spirit and plucked you into himself Have you joyned and given your selves to the Lord Zech. 2 11. 2 Cor. 8.5 For in the event Christ will save no more but those that are in him and of his Body Eph. 5.23 He is the head and Saviour of his Body All out of Christ must certainly sink into the mighty Sea of the wrath of God and perish everlastingly O therefore inquire whether you have ground to conclude that you are in him who is the true God and Eternal Life 1 John 5.20 As those Beasts that God would save were by him inclined to come and enter into the Ark so those that God will such are drawn to Christ John 6.44 4. Have you experienced this Salvation in the several parts of it to be executed upon you Hath Christ bound up your broken Hearts healed your wounded Spirits Isaiah 61.1 Hath he refined you from your Dross Mal. 3.23 Hath he circumcised your Hearts Col. 2.11 Have you felt Christ laying hold on your Hearts and cutting off the filthy Fore-skin that was upon them Jer. 4.4 Hath self-love been moderated reduced within its bounds The Waters covered all at first till God said Let the Waters be gathered together into one Place Gen. 1.9 So self-love overspreads the Soul till Christ doth bound and bank it in and raises up the love of God in our Souls What hath the Old Man suffered in you 1 Pet. 4.1 Have your Lusts received a deadly wound Or are you made free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 And doth it not reign in your Mortal Bodies Do you not obey it in the Lusts thereof Rom. 6.12 God justified Christ by raising him up from the Dead So the Gift of the Spirit to quicken us it 's the Execution of our Justification When God passes the Sentence of Life on Men Rom. 5.18 then he breaths and puts the Spirit of Life into them Ezek. 36.27 As the Beasts saved in the Ark were planted in the likeness of Noah's Death and Resurrection they entred into the Ark were buried in it and rose and came out of it with Noah so have we been planted in the likeness of Christ's Death and Resurrection Rom. 6.5 Hath Christ pick'd up and purged out Satan's Leaven out of our Souls and laid his own Leaven in our Hearts 1 Cor. 5.7 8. with Matth. 13.33 5. Have you answered Christ's ends in your Salvation He sayes that we being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies might serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our lives Luke 1.74.75 Of old in War those that the Conquerors did save alive did promise to become Servants Serva serviam Save me and I will serve thee was the words of a foiled Enemy in danger to be destroyed O hath Christ saved us when he might have destroyed us and doth not this Grace influence and oblige our Souls How much did Christ deny himself to save us and shall not we deny our selves to serve him Hath not Christ's self-denial redeemed us from Self-seeking 2 Cor. 5.14 15. He died that those that live might not henceforth live to themselves but to him that died for them Hath not Christ bought our Souls and hired our service for ever Hath God cloathed us with Garments of Salvation Isa 61.10 these will be also Garments of Praise Isa 61.3 Polybius tells us that if a Soldier was saved from Death in a Battel by his Fellow-Soldiers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Tribunes did judge that he that was saved should crown him that saved him and through his whole Life he should honour him as his Father and do all things to him and for him as if he were his natural Parent Surely if Christ hath saved us from the wrath of God the Paw and power of Satan we shall be induced to Honour Obey and Glorify our Saviour and Redeemer Every Day shall he be praised Psal 72.15 Vse 3d. If Sinners are eminently saved in Christ's Days then I would earnestly press and exhort you to seek after Salvation For Men to be saved is the glory of Christ's Days and will you cast a Reproach and Infamy on Christ's Days by neglecting of Salvation and running upon Destruction Will you envy and grudge to Jesus Christ the glory of saving you and will you put this honour on Satan that in a day of Light he is able to blind you and in a day of Salvation to destroy you and when so much is revealed to disparage his Baits and to spoil his Market that yet you see Reason to persist in your foolish and pernicious Choice and to adhere to your bitter and mortal Enemy Shall Death and Hell have a Harvest shall Satan captivate and inslave in a Day of Salvation Two things I shall insist on to prosecute this Exhortation 1. I shall lay before you some Motives to enforce this use of Exhortation 2. I shall lay down some Directions as to what you are to do in order to the obtaining and assuring this Salvation to you 1. I shall propound and press some Motives to stir you up to seek after Salvation Motive 1. This Salvation is a very great Salvation if we consider first the way of purchasing and procuring of it The Son of God assumed the nature of a Creature emptied himself and cast a thick Vail over
said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Righteousness of God so the word might be render'd and this Phrase the Righteousness of God seems to be taken and be proved from my Text Jehovah our Righteousness 2. Faith is said to be in the Blood of Christ Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth for a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood All the Garments of Christ are said to smell of Myrrh Aloes and Cassia Psal 45.7 As Christ's Garments are expounded to be his Graces so they may also be interpreted to be the Actions of Christ that flow from those Graces Garments signifie Actions so it is said they washed their Robes white in the Blood of the the Lamb Rev. 7.14 So these Garments point out the Active Obedience of Jesus Christ It is said also That Christ gave himself an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to God Ephes 5.2 Zanchy on the place observes the Emphasis of the Apostles words that Christ is said to be first an Offering and then a Sacrifice There were Offerings of First-fruits and Fine Flower and of such things as had not life but living creatures were offered up in Sacrifice and then their blood was spilt and their lives taken away Christ's being an Offering may point out the Holiness of Christ's Life and his being a Sacrifice did signifie his Sufferings and his Death How satisfactory and refreshing is it to us to Read and Hear of the sweet smelling Garments of Christ and the sweet smelling Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus It was foretold of our Lord Jesus Christ that his Ears both his Ears should be opened Psal 40.6 one Ear was opened as he was Man to hear and obey the Commands of the Moral Law and Christ's other Ear was opened to listen to and comply with that peculiar Commandment that was given to him As Mediator to lay down his Life Joh. 10.18 Innocent Man owed but a single debt to God and that was Obedience to his Law but Fallen and Guilty Man is bound to God in a double Bond. He owes God Obedience as he is a Creature and he owes God Glory to be raised out of his Sufferings Misery and Torments as he is a Guilty Creature Therefore Sins are called Debts Matth. 6.12 because the Transgressors of the Law for Non-payment of the Debt of Obedience contract another and New Debt and that is an Obligation to endure Punishment As they wrong and rob God by their sins of Omission and Commission so they are bound to make Restitution to God by their eternal Sufferings and Torments 1. Jesus Christ was to obey the Commands of the Law Joh. 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do Jesus Christ was to Glorifie God in the Nature of a Creature in the Form of a Servant he was to be a perfect Pattern of Piety and an example of Righteousness on Earth where there had not been a full and exact Instance of Righteousness and Obedience fince the Fall Eccles 7.20 There is not a just Man on earth that lives and sins not The Earth hath been full of violence and wickedness before God Gen. 6.13 How much was it then for the Glory of God and the Honour of his Law that there should be a Man Perfectly Holy and Just on Earth A Virgin-Soul among Whores and Adulteresses A Diligent Servant among Drones and Lazy Loiterers A Loyal Subject among Rebels and Enemies How little Honour had been given to the Law if only the Penalty of it had been inflicted and its Curse been executed but the Commands of it had never been obeyed and fulfilled Is it for the Credit or Glory of an Earthly Prince to have no Obedience paid to his Laws but only the Penalties annexed to them to take hold of and be executed on all that are under his Jurisdiction And shall God's Laws never be obeyed Shall the Penalties of them only be executed As a Foreign Prince if he Travels through the Territories and Dominions of another King doth owe him a Topical Allegiance and must needs be subject to his Laws so the Son of God though he was a Rightful and a Glorious King yet Travelling through the Dominions of his Father in the nature of a Creature to Redeem Captives must needs be subject to the Laws that God gave to all Mankind The High-Priest under the Old Testament was an eminent Type of Christ he was bound to wear a Plate of Gold joyned to his Mitre on his Forehead Exod. 25.36 37 38. This did intimate and teach us that the true substantial High-Priest was to be Perfectly holy and absolutely devoted to God Tho' God may spy Faults and observe Blemishes and Spots in the best of Saints yet he may look to the Forehead of Jesus our Great High-Priest and there read nothing but Holiness to the Lord. The Law of God was perfectly impressed on Christ's Heart and fully expressed in his Life He loved God to the Height of utmost Perfection He loved Men even his own that were in the World with the most pure ardent and intense Love John 13.1 he was so intent so fixed in Exalting and Magnifying God that when his Soul was troubled in the prospect of his Sufferings yet he Pray'd thus Father glorifie thy own Name John 12.27 28 29. As if he should say However I am clouded and eclipsed whatever bitter Cup I drink whatever heavy Burden I bear yet Father glorifie thy own Name As the First Adam ruined us by his Self-seeking so the Second Adam raised and Recovered us by his Self-denyal and Christ's Love to his People was stronger than Death He leaped over Mountains of Difficulties and brake through Hosts of Enemies and Sufferings to Redeem them He did forget himself for a time that he might remember us to eternity He veiled his Glory and Majesty to manifest his Love to us We are all as an unclean thing Isa 64.6 but Jesus Christ is that Holy Thing that was Born of the Virgin Mary Luk. 1.35 he came into this World without a Foreskin on his Heart and therefore was that Holy Seed that was Figured and Typified by Circumcision Phil. 3.3 And we may Glory in him on this account The Fountain was pure from his Conception and Birth and the Stream that did flow from it was ever after clear and clean It was requisite that Christ should be Holiness to God that he might be made Righteousness to us 2. Christ's Sufferings may well be accounted a part of his Righteousness For 1. They were the Fulfilling of the Law given to him as Mediator that he should make his Soul an Offering for Sin and pour it out to the death Isa 53.10 12. Joh. 10.18 As the Moral Law belonged to Christ as a Man he could not possess our Humane Nature in Purity or order his Conversation with Beauty without submission to it so the Ceremonial Law belonged to him as a Jew and he was obliged to die as
he was a Mediator He must be obedient to death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.7 8. 2. The Sufferings of Christ were part of his Righteousness because they were the enduring of what Jesus Christ as a Surety did undertake to undergoe If one Man doth bind himself in a Bond to pay the Debt of another it is but Justice that he should satisfie it if he refuse or decline it he acts contrary to the Rules of Righteousness So when Jesus Christ took our Debt on him it was Righteous that he should pay it off A Surety doth first make the Debt his own and then binds himself to the payment of it So Christ first took our sins themselves and then became liable to punishment for them As the Sacrifices of the Law had first Sins put and laid on them Levit. 1. v. 4. and then thereby were exposed to wounds and death If Jesus Christ had not been made sin he could not have been made a Curse 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 Christ's being made a Curse seems somewhat different from his being made Sin and was a Fruit and Consequent of it The Curse could not Fall Fasten or Abide on a Person but where Sin opened the Door drew and pluckt it upon him Jesus Christ by becoming a Surety was snared was taken by the words of his own Mouth Prov. 6.2 Jesus Christ said to the Father Psal Ch. 40.7 8. Loe I come that is to be an Atoning Sacrifice I delight to do thy will O my God that is to offer up my Body once for all Heb. 10.9 10. Now Jesus Christ was come into the Hand of his Father to be punished Prov. 6.3 It was just for God the Father to wound and bruise him to call the Sword of his Justice to awake against him Zach. 13.6 7. verses the Cup could not pass from Christ but he must drink it the Debt must be exacted of him Chastisement must be laid on him Isa 53.5 because Jesus Christ had engaged as a Surety to draw near to God sitting on a fiery Throne holding a flaming Sword and clothed with the garments of vengeance Jer. 30.21 Sins being laid on Christ Isa 53.6 Sorrows and Sufferings were to follow Isa 53.4 because he bare our sins he must also be burthened with our sorrows It was just with God on this account to wound the Man that was his Son and to smite the Man that was his Fellow Zech. 13.7 God's Sword had as it were slept for a long time in the Scabbard of his long-suffering his Justice had been silent and not roared against Sinners But now the Surety was come the great Atoning Sacrifice was presented and exhibited it was high time for God's Sword to awake The Times before Christ were the days of Forbearance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.26 God took Christ's Word till then but now the Day of Payment was come and therefore Christ could not be secured from a Dark Hour or be exempted from drinking of a bitter Cup Matth. 26.39.42 John 12.27 28. he came into the World to have such a Terrible Hour and to walk through the Dark Valley of the shadow of Death As he was loaded with our Sins God must not only forsake him Psal 22.1 but wound him Isa 53 5. He had not only a dark Night as the Light of God's pleasing Countenance was hid from him but he felt Dews and experienc'd the Drops of the Night Cant. 5.2 as God's punishing hand was stretch'd out against him Christ had not only a very Dark Night but a very Stormy and Tempestuous Night as we had estranged our selves from God and had forgotten our Relation to him so God estranged himself from Christ and seemed for a time to veile and forget his Relation to his Son to carry it as a Stranger and as one unconcerned in the Sufferings of Jesus Christ Psal 22.1 2. My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God! I cry unto thee in the day time but thou hearest not and in the Night season and am not silent O! how strange is this that God should thus withdraw himself from his own Son that the Father should deliver him up into the hands and leave him to the Will of his Enemies That God's ear should be stopt and his Bowels shut up against his own Son That Jesus Christ should roar out his doleful Complaints and yet God be as it were deaf and dumb to him and inexorable towards him when the Son was not silent to his Father day or night Surely Christ's Cup was very bitter his Burthen heavy and the Fire that Roasted this Lamb of God was very hot and scorching or else Christ that had the Power of the God-head to support him was now in the midst of his Enemies and near the end of his Sufferings would never thus have roared out The words of the Psalmist David do exactly Point out and Foretel that which Matthew Records Matth. 27. v. 46. And about the Ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani that is to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet Jesus Christ justifies the Father in forsaking of him in not hearing of him But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Psal 22.3 Though others tast thy Goodness admire and glorifie thy Grace and thou inhabitest their Praises yet thou art deaf to me I feel thy Wrath and Severity But thou art holy in all this I am come into thy hand as a Surety and must fall under thy weighty Arm as a God of Vengeance This was the true reason and cause why Jesus was wanting to himself did not plead his own Cause or more confute the Slanders and wipe off the Reproaches his Enemies cast on him clear and justifie himself from their Calumnies False and Forged Accusations Mark 15.3 4 5. Jesus Christ kept silence he Answered nothing to what the High-Priest charged him with He also Answered nothing to Pilate so that Pilate marvelled that he would not plead for and defend himself that he carried it as if he had no Reply no Reproofes in his Month to vindicate himself and silence his Adversaries This Silence of Christ was foretold Isa 53.7 He was dumb he opened not his Mouth The truth was that Jesus took our Sins and bare our Iniquities in order to his submitting to Punishment for them Isa 53.6 1 Pet. 2.24 Confusion of face did belong to us Dan. 9.8.9 Guilt might stop our Mouths seale up our Lips We had cause to lie down in our Shame to cover our selves with Confusion never to open our Mouths to deny extenuate or justifie our Practises Ezek. 16. last Christ now stood in our place he did as it were assume our Person Silence did become us Our Cause was so bad that it could not be pleaded or defended It was Just now that Christ should be Condemned Executed
Christ's 1 Lam. 14. No other Shoulder or Back could stand or bear up under such a load of Sufferings but the Shoulder and Back of Christ If the weak Wood of his Humane Nature had not been overlaid with the Brass and strength of his Divine Nature as the Altar for Burnt-offerings was but of Shittim-wood but was over-laid with Brass Exod. 27.1.2.3 the weak Humane Nature of Christ could not have endured the hot fire of God's Fierce Wrath but it must have been consumed The Mighty God therefore must support the frail Man Christ Jesus For God to hide his Pleasing Countenance from Christ was as it were the loss of a Heaven for a season and for God to turn his Angry Frowning Face against Christ was the Feeling of a Hell for a Time Who could bear this Loss this Punishment but he that had Omnipotency to uphold him There were several things that were extraordinary in the Sufferings of Christ so that none but he could bear and suffer at that rate and in that manner First That Jesus Christ when he was bruised by God yet claimed Interest in him and Trusted on him In the depth of his Sorrows and Sufferings yet he thus calls him My God my God Psal 22.1 and saith in Heb. 2.13 I will put my trust in him Yea when all left him and the Father too is said to forsake him yet he saith I am not alone but the Father is with me John 16.32 when God did press down a weight of Sufferings on him yet he was perswaded that at that very time he put his Allmighty and Everlasting Arms under him to uphold him Isa 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold Isa 50.7 The Lord God will help me When God did lay Sins on him Isa 53.6 yet he believed he would Justifie him from them all Isa 50.8 He is near that justifieth me Though he was now under a dark Night yet he did believe that God would turn his Shadow of Death into a bright and joyful Morning Psal 16 11. Thou wilt shew me the path of Life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Secondly That Jesus Christ Loved God even when he was wounded by him and suffered such hard things from him The Damned suffer from God and hate him they belch and vomit out Blaspemies against him But Jesus Christ endured the most bitter and grievous things from the Father's Hand yet still loved him This was the Fat of the Inwards of Christ's Sacrifice Levit. 3.14 Levit. 4.8 that his Soul was filled with the Fear of God Isa xi 2. and had such a profound Humility and made such a deep and hearty Submission to the Will of God Matth. 20.42 which did greatly ennoble the Sufferings of Christ This is very observable that Jesus Christ in the Celebration of his Last Supper twice Gave Thanks to God at the Consecration of the Bread and the Blessing of the Cup 1 Cor. 11.24 26. Matth. 27. What can we conceive was the subject matter of his Thanksgiving but that he blessed his Father for setting him forth to be a Propitiation for Sanctifying and Sending him into the World to be an High-Priest John 10.36 and for Ordaining him to be a Sacrifice 1 Pet. 1.18.19 20. For giving him as Bread from Heaven to feed Famishing Creatures and designing his Blood as a generous Cordial to support fainting Souls O what an excellent Spirit did Christ discover in Blessing of God that made a Spiritual Feast on himself as a Paschal-Lamb and Sacrifice 1 Cor. 5.7.8 Thirdly This was wonderful that Christ that was but one Lamb Isa 53.7 1 John 29. did bear so many Sins yea Thousands and Millions of Transgressions and yet did not sink under them He was a Tried Stone Isa 28.16 Never was there such a Weight of Sins and Sufferings laid on any one as on Christ yet he did not break or sink under this Weight As God put Sins on Christ Isa 53.6 so Christ put them away Heb. 9.26 Aaron did confess all the Sins of the People of Israel over the Scape-Goat and lay them on him Levit. 16.21 but his Memory might fail us to a perfect Enumeration of the kinds and sorts of their sins But God laid the Iniquities of all his People on Christ Isa 53.6.8 and surely God that knew them all remembred and recorded them all did not omit over-slip or forget to lay any of them on Christ therefore the number of Iniquities laid on Christ was not to be recounted conceived comprehended These many sins brought such great Sufferings on Christ that when he took a view of the Sea of Sorrows he was to pass through he began to be sore amaz'd Mark 14.33 and wen he came into the Garden he was in an Agony Luke 22.44 Hesychius a Learned Greek Author sayes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies that vehement fear of Death that falls on Soldiers when they are about to join Battel with an Enemy Jesus Christ was to encounter the Prince of Darkness the Legions of Hell and his Bands and Troops on Earth and the sight of the Multitude of Christ's Enemies and the Greatness of his dangers and sufferings from above and from beneath did put Christ into Agony The Lamb of God was to Combate with a Roaring Lion the Unicorns of Apostate Spirits were to set on him the Jews as Bulls of Bashan and the Romans as Dogs were to assault Jesus Christ Psal 22.12 13 16 21. The True Israel was now to Wrestle with the Wrath of God the Curse of the Law the Rage of Hell yet he prevailed to satisfie Justice quench the Fire of the Wrath of God defeat the Policy and disarm the Power of Hell while Satan the Old Serpent nibled at Christ's Heels he Trod upon and bruised his Head Fourthly That Jesus suffered so that he made an end of Sin finished the Transgression he did so take sin on him that he took it away John 1.29 so bare it that he did bare it away for ever The words used in Dan. 9.24 are very emphatical Jesus Christ Died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lecalleh to make an end of Sin that there should never need or be any more Offerings for Sin Some render the word restrain or to Imprison this is our safety that sin is so Confined and Imprisoned for ever that it shall never more be at liberty to come forth to give Evidence or Testifie against us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lecathem signifies to Seale up This is intimated that Transgressions as Rolls should be sealed up they should be kept private and secret the Long Rolls of our Transgressions should be so sealed up as never more to be opened and Read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lecappher signifies to Reconcile Expiate Iniquity so as to cover it and that not slightly as by spreading a Cloath over it that may be easily taken away but to cover by Plaistering over a
thing The word intimates that Christ so Covers Sin that it is never more to be seen It is so Blotted out by his Blood that it is never more to be Read so Drowned that it is never more to appear Christ by his once Offering hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified and put an end to all Sacrifices for Sin Heb. 10.14 17 18. Fifthly That Christ so suffered for Sin that in a short time he removed the Guilt of it Zech. 3.9 God saith he would remove the Iniquity of that Land in one day O! How wonderful is this that Guilt which had been contracting Sins that had been committing many Hundreds yea some Thousands of years that these should be satisfied for in one day and should be so soon purged away Heb. 1.3 That what Sinners had been Writing Hundreds of years that Christ should blot it out in one day When Sins had long cried loud and clamoured in the Ears of God that all these should be stilled and silenced in one day Sixthly For Christ by Tasting death but part of three days to abolish it for ever 2 Tim. 1.10 by a short course of Obedience to bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 and by Temporary Sufferings to obtain an Eternal Redemption Heb. 9.12 this none could do but Jehovah Incarnate In the Sacrifices of the Law there was a Remembrance again of Sins every year Heb. 10.3 though there were Sacrifices offered daily to make Atonement for Sin and a Multitude of these were slain in a Year yet on the Day of Atonement that came the Tenth Day of the Seventh Moneth every Year there was a Solemn Confession and Remembrance of Sins again Levit. 16.21 27 29. which evidences the weakness and imperfection of all the Legal Sacrifices that they could never take away Sin or make the comers to those Sacrifices perfect Heb. 10.11 but Christ by one Offering perfects us for ever Heb. 10.14 Christ's one Sacrifice was the Truth and Substance of all the Sacrifices of the Law of the Burnt-offering 1 John 29. of the Sin-offering 2 Cor. 5.21 of the Trespass-offering Isa 53.10 Christ made his Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Trespass-offering Therefore on the account of this one perfect Sacrifice God saith he will remember Sins and Iniquities no more Heb. 10.17 Hence it is very rightly inferred very justly concluded where Remission of Sins is there is no more Offering for Sin 3. The Benefits that we receive by Christ's doing and suffering the will of God do Evidence that Christ is our Righteousness and our only Righteousness 1. It was Jesus Christ that gave his Life a Ransome for many Matth. 20.28 we did not contribute towards it or make up any part of it We cannot give to God a Ransom for our Bodies to prevent Temporal Death Psal 49.78.9 How then could we provide a Ransome for our Souls to prevent Eternal Death we could not satisfie Justice that our Bonds might be loosed our Prison door opened as God the Father found out the way of Redemption Job 33.24 I have found a Ransome So God the Son paid the Ransome and found Eternal Redemption Heb. 9.12 He gave his Flesh for the Life of the World John 6.51 he was slain and Redeemed us to God by his Blood Revel 5.9 As the Ram was the Ransom of Isaac Gen. 22.12 13. Abraham's hand was staid the Life of Isaac was spared and the Ram was offered up in stead of him So we were bound with Chains of Guilt the Justice of God was ready to give us the Fatal Stroke the Mortal Wound we were under the Sentence of death and knew not how we should be preserved but then Jesus Christ was substituted in our Room and this Lamb of God was offered as a Ransome for us therefore our Righteousness is wholly of him 2. We do not feed on or live by Food of our own providing but Christ is Living Bread and Bread of Life to us John 6.48.50 51. He came down from Heaven that we might eat and not die Christ speaks of a double giving John 6.51 First He gave his Flesh upwards in Sacrifice to God his Father so he gave his flesh for the Life of the World Secondly he gives it downwards as Food and Sustenance to us There is neither Sacrifice for God or Bread for us to be found in this lower World but both must come down from Heaven By our Fall and Apostacy from God we have brought our selves into a Barren Spiritual Wilderness as the Israelites when they came out of Egypt into the Wilderness they could not subsist there but by an extraordinary and Miraculous Provision that God made for them God Rained down Manna from the Clouds and fed the Israelites with the Corn of Heaven Psal 78.24 But Christ may more truly and properly be called the Corn of Heaven This very Bread did first spring up in the Mind and grow in the Heart of God he laid the great Design of a Spiritual Feast for fainting and famishing Souls He Predestinated Jesus Christ to be a Sacrifice to himself and Food to us This is a great and wonderful Mystery of Grace that Bread should come down from Heaven to Nourish us Bread should naturally Grow out of the Earth for our Souls as well as for our Bodies Our Righteousness should spring and grow out of our selves and be wrought by our selves but none of us have any thing of our own to relieve our selves with to subsist upon or to keep our selves alive by Psal 22.29 none could keep alive his own Soul we were ready to perish with Famine as the Prodigal Luke 15.17 Now what astonishing Kindness is this that Jesus Christ should be a Sacrifice that Sinners might have a Feast on him 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Believers are made Spiritual Priests Revel 1.6 and this is their Priviledge Honour and Happiness that they have an Altar to eat off Heb. 13.10 In the Times of the Law none might eat of a Sacrifice that was offered for their Sins if the Priest offered Sacrifice for his own Sins he might not eat of any part of it Levit. 8.10 11. those Sacrifices offered for Sin did not yield any Food or Sustenance to the Worshippers that brought them This did evidence and argue their weakness and imperfection that they could not feed or nourish those that brought them Levit. 6.30 it is ordained that no Offering whereof any of the blood is brought into the Tabernacle of the Congregation to reconcile withall in the Holy Place shall be eaten it shall be burnt in the fire But this is the Excellency of Christ's Sacrifice that though he was made Sin and a Trespass-offering yet we are called to Feed on and Eat his Body that was broken and Sacrificed for us Matth. 26.26 1 Cor. 11.24 25. There is still Food on Christ our Altar it is never empty The Altar was called God's Table Mal. 1.12 Ezek. 41.22 and the Sacrifice is called his Meat God did as it were Feed at
of Sin and the Spirit that was signified by the Water that flowed out of Christ's side is a sovereign Remedy against the Filth and Reigning power of Sin And Jesus Christ the Tree of Life beares Leaves for the Healing of the Nations Revel 22.2 No other Tree hath Healing Leaves but only Jesus Christ his Word Doctrine Promises are Healing Leaves We do not Work to Cure our selves tho' we are Patients yet we cannot be our own Physitians but we are Justified by Christ's Condemnation and live by his Death 4. We are not Washed in any Water of our own providing or in any Bath of our own making but God the Father hath opened a Fountain for sin and uncleanness Zech. 13.1 and this Fountain is opened where we could never have thought of or imagined any such thing even in the pierced side and wounded heart of the Son of God His Head was Crowned with Thornes his Hands and Feet were nailed to the Cross his Side was pierced and Blood did flow from thence to Purifie our Souls This is noble and precious Blood indeed that affects Conscience and reaches so far as to purifie it The Blood of Sacrifices the Ashes of an Heifer and Clean Water availed only to the Purification of the Flesh to take off Ceremonial Uncleanness but Christ poured out his own Blood and thereby made a Precious Laver a Costly Bath This Blood purgeth Conscience from sins that are dead Works as they are the Fruits of Spiritual Death and the Seeds of Eternal Death Though Conscience be stupid and doth not feel the weight of these dead Works yet if they remain unpurged they will revive and sting the Soul to death they will return upon it and sink it to Hell There is no other means to purifie and pacifie Conscience but this Blood and we exceedingly need it There is a Fountain of Iniquity in us that continually flows to defile us Jer. 6.7 As a Fountain casts out its Waters so Jerusalem casts out her Wickedness It is well for us that there is a Fountain without us in Christ to take off that Guilt that is contracted by the Flowings of that Filthy Fountain that is within us Christ's Blood though it is little in quantity yet it is mighty in Virtue There is a deep Sea of Merit in it Micah 7.18 19. Thoug it was poured out of his Body but a few hours yet it is a Fountain that Flowes in all Ages and Generations to take away Sin And is not this most sweet and comfortable that Jesus Christ did not only shed his Blood but sprinkles it also Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness Clean Water to wash the Body is common but clean Water to purifie the Soul is rare and no where to be found but in Christ This is wonderful Grace that Christ would not only shed his Blood but undertakes also to sprinkle it He shed it with unexpressible Pain and Anguish but he Sprinkles it with much Pleasure and Delight As he pitied Souls and shed his Blood for them so he Loves Soules and Sprinkles it on them and Washes them in this Fountain from their Uncleanness Revel 1.56 We are not clothed by our own Works or Righteousness Our Webs cannot become Garments Isa 59.6 Our best Performances cannot clothe us Our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags they cannot hide our Shame cover our Nakedness they are too narrow and short to do it Isa 64.6 Shall we be proud of or trust upon filthy Rags Our own Righteousness is but a Garment full of Patches So Piscator renders the Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vestimentum frustrorum panni veteris attriti A Garment of Pieces of old and worn-out Cloth How long have we been serving in the Oldness of the Letter Rom. 7.6 and so our Garment may be called Old Cloth Sometimes we do good Works and then are apt to turn aside and to commit evil Works There are interruptions in our obedience Sin doth too often intervene so that these patches of the Old Man do much blemish and disfigure the Garment of our Righteousness There are Breaches in our Walls and Spots in our Garments As we need clean Water to Purisie us Ezek. 36.25 so we also want clean Linnen to Clothe and Adorn us Revel 19.8 Jesus Christ invites us to come to him to buy White Rayment that the shame of our Nakedness may not appear Revel 3.18 Christ was the Angel that commanded the Filthy Garments to be taken from Joshuah the High-Priest he caused his Iniquities to pass away and Clothed him with change of Rayment Zech. 3.4 The Garments of our Bodies do put us in mind of our Sins and bring to Remembrance our Transgression therefore they are called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bidge from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bagad that signifies to Rebel Because if Man had not Apostatized from and Rebelled against God he had not needed Clothing or Garments But the Righteousness of Christ may well be called the Garment of Praise Isa 61.3 It is a Garment for Beauty and Glory and so to be exceedingly praised when God puts it on us then we begin heartily to praise God Christ is stiled the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 he hath healing Beames for wounded Consciencies The Church is said to be Clothed with the Sun Revel 12.1 And is not this a Glorious Garment Doth it not deserve praise in it self and call for the highest Praises from us God provided Coats of Skins and Clothed our First Parents with them Gen. 3.21 The matter of those Coats was the Skins of Beasts that probably were slain and offered in Sacrifice to God This might instruct and teach them that the Spiritual Cloathing of their Souls was to be borrowed from the Obedience and Righteousness of the Great Atoning Sacrifice As many as are Baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 Our First Parents did sow Fig-leaves together to make Aprons to hide their shame Gen. 3.7 but when God provided Coats of Skin for them then they threw away their Aprons of Fig-leaves as useless So every Man Naturally seeks some Aprons of Works and righteousness of his own to cover his Nakedness when Conscience accuses them for sin and the Law of God Condemns them for Iniquity The Whore in Prov. 7.14 pleads That she had Peace-offerings with her and that day she had paid her Vowes and with this Apron she thought to hide the Filthiness of her Adultery But when Men come acquainted with Jesus Christ and have that Glorious Clothing revealed to them which he hath proved for Souls then they cast away their Aprons of Works and their own Imaginary Righteousness Paul saith That those things that he reputed his Gains that he thought would gain him the Favour of God Acceptance with God a Title to Everlasting Life these he counted loss for Christ Phil. 3.7 8 9. that is he cast them away not only as unprofitable
Rom. 7.18 As Jacob did Travel towards Canaan yet he halted on one Foot as he Journied on Gen. 32.31 So though Saints do walk with God and hold on their way towards Heaven Job 17.9 yet they halt on the Unregenerate side and part With my Mind I serve the Law of God ' but with my Flesh the Law of Sin Rom. 7. last This is a wonderful Mystery of the Gospel that Believers are perfected as to the Conscience Heb. 9.14 Heb. 10.14 Though the Sacrifices of the Law could not make them that brought them perfect as touching the Conscience Heb. 9.9 they did Shadow Pardon they did Typify Reconciliation but they could not confer and bestow Pardon and Peace But this is the Excellency and Perfection of Christ's Sacrifice that it doth Purge and Perfect Conscience though the Soul and its Faculties are not perfected by a Compleat Inherent Righteousness yet Conscience is Perfected and hath no more ground to Accuse and Condemn than as if there were no Corruption remaining no Sin dwelling in us O what a Mystery of Grace is this that Conscience should be perfected and yet the Soul remain imperfect in Grace 8. Our own Inherent Righteousness is so defective and comes so short of a full Conformity to the Law that we cannot dwell at home but must fly unto and inhabit in the City of Refuge Though the Old Man be wounded in every Member in the Saints yet it is not Maimed no one of our Members on Earth is perfectly cut off 3 Cor. 5. And therefore we must not stay at home or dare to be found in our own Righteousness Phil. 3.9 As the Man-slayer was not to continue at his House Numb 35.15 22 24 25. He was in hast to leave it and fly to the City of Refuge and there to abide till the Death of the High-Priest Tho' a Man did without Enmity Hatred or Design but by meer Chance Kill his Neighbour yet he must not abide at Home Then we that have sinned knowingly and that with the bent and purpose of our Hearts have Transgressed a Righteous Law set before us do much more need Jesus Christ as a City of Refuge We are in more danger of Revenging Justice than the Man-slayer was of the Avenger of Blood O! how much Mercy is it that we have a City of Refuge to fly to tho' we have sined greatly and heinously When Jesus Christ our High-Priest died when the Temple of his Body was destroy'd John 2.19 then was this City of Refuge built up It is wholly Inhabited by Creatures that have been Guilty of Heinous and Innumerable Transgressions O what encouragement is this that there is yet Room in the City of Refuge to receive Guilty Creatures that fly to it And what great need have we of it not only for our Acts that are meer Sins but also for the best of our Duties and Performances There is Iniquity that cleaves to our Holy Things Exod. 28.36 37 38. We need an High-Priest not only for our Deformed Facts of Sin but for our Beautiful Acts of Worship by reason of the Dross that is in them our High-Priest did bear the Iniquity of our Holy Things they lay Heavy on him And can we purchase Heaven by those things that we need a Pardon and Jesus Christ endured a Heavy Punishment for If the Man-slayer did come forth and was found without the Borders of the City of Refuge the Avenger of Blood might kill him Numb 35.26 27. So if the best of Saints should go forth of Christ the City of Refuge and think to dwell at Home by trusting in their own Inherent Righteousness God's Revenging Justice might destroy them therefore it is our wisdom and safety to abide in Christ 1 John 2.28 Little children abide in him Because we are but weak little children not grown to perfect strength and full stature in Grace we are still to abide in Christ The Apostle Paul seems to me to refer to that expression of the Man-slayer's being found without the Border of the City of Refuge Numb 35.26 where he expresses it as his Great Design and Desire to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 The Man-slayer and the Avenger of Blood might converse freely and comfortably together without fear of danger in the City of Refuge So a God of Vengeance and a Believing Sinner may have sweet Communion with each other in the Lord Jesus That Just One died for the Unjust to bring them to God not as Guilty Malefactors to be punished but as Reconciled Friends to be Embraced 1 Pet. 3.19 By the better hope we draw nigh to God Heb. 7.19 Noah though a sincere and Just Man was not to stay in his Tent or House but to leave it and enter into the Ark that he might not be Drowned by the Waters of the Flood so we must go out of our selves fly to and trust in Christ as God's Ark of Salvation that we may be deliver'd from Destruction by the Deluge of God's Wrath. 9. We do not ascend up to Heaven by a Lofty Tower or by a Proud Babel of our own Building the Top of our highest Structure cannot reach Heaven as those Foolish Builders thought theirs would do Gen. 11.3 4. Our Sins are increased and grown up to Heaven Ezra 9.6 If our Trespass be grown up to Heaven as Ezra acknowledges if our Sins affront provoke and dare God to destroy us How shall our Righteousness grow up to Heaven to enter into it and take possession of it We de serve by our Iniquities to be thrown down to Hell and do not Merit by our Righteousness to Ascend up to Heaven If Men could fly to Heaven by the Wings of their own Works or get up thither by the Ladder of their own Righteousness What need was there that God should provide and set up a Ladder to Heaven for us Gen. 28.12 13 14 15 16 17. Jacob was Travelling to Padan-Aram and in a Dream God minds him of the Great Journey up to Heaven and discovers to him a Ladder the Foot of which did stand on Earth and the top of which did reach Heaven By this Ladder was signified both the Person of Christ that was to be God-man and so at once to stand on Earth and reach to Heaven and the Office of Christ that as Mediator was to Reconcile God and Man and so joyn Earth and Heaven together The Foot of this Ladder stood in Bethel which signifies the House of God In the Church Christ the Mediator is Revealed and Preached At the top of this Ladder is the Gate of Heaven Gen. 28.16 17. Heaven is only accessible and open over this Ladder to those that climb and ascend up by it This Ladder is now Compleat in all the Rongs or Parts of it the Foot of the Ladder stood near the Head of Sleeping Jacob this might point that the Ladder is Raised from Christ's Sleeping the sleep of Death Jesus is now not only Born and hath Died but is Risen again and
say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my Sin Prov. 20.9.3 Who can understand his errours Psal 19.12.4 If thou Lord should mark Iniquity who shall stand Psal 130.3 4. Though Saints as Job in their pleadings with Men held fast their Integrity Job 27.6 yet they have let go all confidence in their own Works in their approaches to God We are all as an unclean thing and our Righteousnesses are but Filthy rags Isa 64.6 10. Abraham was long before he offered up Isaac a Beleiver and a Justified person Gen. 15.6 Abraham Believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for Righteousness it is very observable that we have no mention or Record made of Abraham's Faith and Justification till now though he was called effectually near Twenty years before And why is the mention of Abraham's Faith and Justification reserved till now I answer God now promises him that the Son that should come out of his own Bowels should be his Heir and that from this Son should Spring a Seed as Numerous as the Stars of Heaven Gen. 15.45 And in Isaac Christ was Typified and promised as Isaac was a Child Raised from the dead body of aged Abraham and the dead womb of old Barren Sarah so Jesus Christ should be raised from the Dead the Apostle Paul plainly parrallels these two things Rom. 4.19.24 Abraham saw Christ's day in the Promise and Birth of Isaac John 8.56 Therefore it was exceeding proper for Moses then to record Abraham's Faith in God when Jesus Christ was promised by whom we Believe in God 1 Pet. 1.21 As Abraham could not Believe in God but by the Promised Seed so we could not be Justified but through Christ Now Would Abraham go from trusting in the perfect Righteousness of the promised Seed to trust in his own defective Works and imperfect Righteousness Certain it is that there is but one way of Justification The Righteousness of God is Revealed from Faith to Faith Rom 1.17 It is not from Faith to Works but Faith at first and all along and at last apprehends this Righteousness of Christ and builds on it Therefore the Just is said to live by Faith Abraham was a Believer and Justified at his first effectual call yet Moses Testifies that many years after he Believed in God and he counted it to him for Righteousness so that Abraham's Faith acted on God through the promised Seed from first to last for Justification Here the Apostle might take ground for his assertion that the Righteousness of God was revealed from Faith to Faith Did Abraham begin in the Spirit as to his Justification and would he after this resort and repair to the Flesh to be perfected Did the Righteousness of the Messiah begin his Justification and was his own Righteousness to compleat it What would this be but to go from a Son of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 to a candle of Righteousness From a compleat ship to a broken plank From a beautiful and glorious garment to a Filthy Rag Gal. 3.27 Isa 64.6 From a sweet smelling Sacrifice to stinking and lothsom Dung Ephes 5.2 Phil. 3.8 9. 11. To assert a Second Justification before God by Works What is it but to confound the two Covenants to blend the Covenant of Works and Grace together and to form up a Bastard-Covenant that is not purely of Grace or wholy of Works but mixed and Compounded of both which the Scripture dis-claims as inconsistent Rom. 11.6 As Hagar and Sarah Ismael and Isaac could not quietly Dwell or peaceably abide together in one Family Hagar dispised Sarah Gen. 16.4 and Ismael mocked at Isaac Hagar first fled Gen. 16.6 7. and afterwards both Hagar and Ismael were cast out of Abraham's Tent Gen. 21.10 It is this seems to point at and Type out this great truth that the Covenant of Works and Grace of which these two Mothers were Types Galat. 4.24 Cannot be reconciled cannot consist together He that Beleives hath Everlasting Life John 5.24 John 6.54 And is this Title to Everlasting Life weak or crazy Must it be waved or needs it to be fortified by our Works Is it a good Title for one that begins but must another or better be sought in his progress 2. Object A second Objection is Raised by some against Christ's being our Righteousness that then we should be as Just and Righteous as Christ yea that we might be styled Saviours and Redeemers of the World I Answer This doth not follow for 1. The First Adam's Sin is imputed to us yet it is not true that we are as Great and Heinous Sinners as the First Adam We did not Exist in our own Persons as he did We did not receive a Law from God Immediately as he did or were in our own persons invested with a Lordship over all the Creatures and placed in Paradise as he was he was a publick but we are particular and private persons he Sinned in his own person we but in him Therefore though his Sin be imputed to us yet his guilt was greater than ours This parallel between the First and Second Adam may somewhat answer the Objection 2. Jesus Christ is the Author and Subject of this Righteousness but we are neither only it is imputed to us and bestowed on us 3. Jesus Christ's Righteousness is not imputed to us according to its full Value but our particular necessity as a pretious Jewel given for the Redemption of a hundred Captives None of them hath the whole Jewel given for him but it is given for every one of the hundred Captives according to his particular Exigence to obtain his liberty So Christ is said to give himself for the Church in general Ephes 5.25.26 yet every Believer according to his own need applies Jesus Christ to himself in particular as Paul did Christ he saith Loved me and gave himself for me Galat. 2.20 The Righteousness of Christ is not accounted our intrinsick Righteousness so indeed we should be Reputed Saviours It is imputed to us not according to its universal value but according to our particular necessity that we by it may be accounted Righteous It is imputed to us as the subjects have benefit by it but not as the causes of it as Amesius doth judiciously express it Object 3. Bellarmine further Objects that we may be perfect in this Life and so not at all need Christ's Righteousness We may see by this from whom our Quakers have taken their doctrine of Perfection It came out of Anti-Christ's Forge not out of Christ's School Answ 1. This Assertion that we may be perfect in this Life is most false and expresly contradicts the Scripture That there is not a Just Man on Earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7.20 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 We cannot say we have no sin for we have Original sin yet remaining and dwelling in us The Leprosy of sin is not perfectly purged out of
us till the House of the Body is pulled down How else could it be said That the Body is dead by reason of sin Rom. 9.10 If we were perfect how could we die Doth it sute the Justice of God to pull and tare a perfect Creature in pieces and to deliver it up to Corruption If there be no sin within what is that which opens the Door and lets in Death If there be no Bonds of sin on the Soul how doth the Bondage of Corruption come on the Body God hath wisely ordered it that Persons shall not come to the Mark of Perfection till they also arrive at the Prize of Glory How Foolish and False is it for Persons to say they are perfect and yet have not attained to the Prize of Glory but are in a frail and miserable Estate God designs not that Persons shall be absolutely perfect in a Natural Body 1. That the Threatning may be fulfilled Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 2. That Christians may have an Enemy to Wrestle and Conflict with whilst they are here Ephes 6.12 1 Tim. 6.12 3. That Believers may still act Faith on Jesus Christ and repair to him for Help Healing and Salvation God will not utterly take away the Fiery Serpents Satan and our Lust that we may resort to Jesus Christ for a continual Cure and Christ may never be out of date or use with us 1. Vse If Jehovah be the Righteousness of the Church this may reprove those that do not stop in or satisfie themselves with this Righteousness The Apostle Paul in Galat. 3.1 thus addresses himself to the Galatians O foolish Galatians Who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth as Crucified The Apostle Paul and others had drawn the Picture of Christ Crucified in beautiful and lively Colours he had described the Causes the Ends the Greatness and Grievousness of Christ's Sufferings and he wonders that any should darken their Minds and as it were bewitch their Eyes that they should not see the Loveliness and Excellency of this Glorious Object and comply with the Ends and Designs of Christ's Death Would Jesus Christ stoop so low Would he endure such hard and heavy things to have only a share in our Justification Shall any put in a joynt-stock with Christ Shall they contribute to their own Redemption and Justification Will Christ be a Partner only with our Works and Righteousness Shall a Crown be put on the head of the Creature as well as one set on the Head of Christ Is this the utmost product of all Christ's bitter Sufferings to do but half in our Justification Will not a Man both deceive and indanger himself that sets one Foot on a strong Bough and another on a rotten one Will not such an one fall So he that leans on Christ in part and on his own Righteousness in part will be frustrated and disappointed will miscarry and perish The Church is thus described as leaning on her Beloved Cant. 8.5 It is this Arm only that can support us and it is Christ's Righteousness that must keep us from sinking into Destruction How ignorant are Men of their Sins if they think these Waters are not so deep but they can Wade through them and not need Christ as an Ark to carry them over How blind are they that think their Wounds are not so dangerous but they can heal them or that Judge their Transgressions are not so heavy but they can cast in Religious Duties and Good Works enough to fetch up the Scale from the Ground and make a Compensation for their Offences and to Ransom themselves from Destruction The Papists here are highly guilty of darkening this Glorious Name of Christ and of Robbing him of the Honour of it they assert that a Man may do such Good Works before Justification that render it meet that God should give him Grace and that by Good Works done after Justification he may Merit Glory They affirm that we are Justified not by Forgiveness or not imputing our Trespasses as the Scripture saith 2 Cor. 5.19 but by the infusion of Righteousness into us Alensis saith that Justificatio est rectitudo liberi arbitrii that is it is the Reforming and Rectifying of Man's Free-will the bringing of the Soul to love God But this is a proud and false Doctrine in this as well as other Senses Rome is Egypt Revel 11.8 as it asserts a River of Inherent Righteousness below and that they need not that God should Rain an Imputed Righteousness on them as the Poet said of the Ground and Herbs of Egypt Nec pluvio supplicat Herba Jovi their Ground and Herbs did not Pray to Jupiter to send Rain A part of Egypt is satisfied with the River Nilus and hath no Rain as the Scriptures teach us Zech. 14.18 They think to climb to Heaven by a proud Babel of their own Building and not to ascend thither by the Ladder of Christ's Righteousness As this is a proud so it is a false Doctrine 1. It destroys the Parallel that the Apostle Paul makes between Christ's being made Sin and our being made Righeousness 2 Cor. 5.21 as Christ was made sin though he had not Inherent sin but only our sins Imputed to him so we are made Righteousness by the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to us though we have not a perfect Inherent Righteousness of our own 2. Nothing Justifies before God but a Perfect Obedience and Righteousness our own at best is not such therefore we need Christ's Righteousness Christ as applying himself to us is the efficient cause of our Righteousness and Christ as applied is the formal cause of it as Amesius in his Bellarminus enervatus excellently asserts 3. If we are Justified by an Inherent Righteousness of our own there would be no room pretence or colour for that Objection that the Jews and all Natural Men are ready to make against the Doctrine of Justification Shall we not sin then that Grace may abound Rom. 6.1 If God Justifies by pardoning our sins and not imputing our Trespasses then the more we offend then the more Glory Grace will have in forgiving our Iniquities and so we may let the Reins loose to our Lusts But if Paul did assert our Justification to be by infusing of Righteousness into us the more Righteousness is Infused into us the more we should be restrained from sin and the less need Mercy to Pardon our sins and there would be no colour for such an Objection as the Jews did raise from the Apostle's Doctrine 2. There are others that we own as Brethren and account as sound in the main of the Doctrine of Justification yet we may modestly enquire whether some of their notions or expressions are calculated to advance the Glory of Christ's Righteousness in the Justification of the Ungodly 1. They assert that Faith and Repentance are proper conditions of the Covenant of
out of Prison Isa 49.9 that he should be wounded to heal us and be bruised to bind us up Isa 53.9 10. Isa 61.1 that a Vail should be cast over Christ's Innocency by our Iniquity taken on him that a Vail might be cast over our sins by his Righteousness imputed to us There was an Offence committed that might have remained on us and have destroyed us But O what kindness is this that there should be a Free Gift of Righteousness to relieve and justifie us Rom. 5.15 Christ Redeemed us from Destruction by devoting himself to Death for us in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to Redeem in the Arabick Fada fignifies to Devote ones self to Death This Fada is the same word with the Hebrew Phada and by comparing the two significations of the word in the two Languages we learn this excellent Truth †Vid. Oriental Lexicon That we are Redeemed by Christ's devoting himself to Death for us What we our selves should have fully wrought out that Christ hath bought and freely gives us Dan. 9.24 Rom. 5.19 O how should we admire God Who is a God like to him glorious in Holiness Exod. 15.11 Yet who is a God like to him pardoning iniquity and passing by Transgression and Sin Mic. 7.18 19. As he is Holy he hates sin yet as he is Gracious he pities Sinners His Holiness doth not hinder or obstruct his Mercy 3d. Vse Examine your selves whether you can truly call Jehovah by this sweet and comfortable Name Is he your Righteousness Are you invested with this Righteousness and discharged from your Sins Put these following Questions to your selves for Trial. 1. Did you ever come to your selves Luke 15.17 Did you ever feel your selves to be bound with Cords of Guilt laden with Iniquity ready to sink into the Bottomless Pit Men must be Condemned before they are Justified be cast down before they are lifted up apply the Curse to themselves before they apply the Blessing hear the Sentence of Death denounced against them by the Law before they partake of Justification of Life by the Gospel as the World was first without the Law and then the Israelites were under the Law and then Christ came with Righteousness and Peace So every Justified Sinner is first without the Law he is alive and full of hopes because he is without the Law Rom. 7.9 he knows not the Spirituality of the Commands of the Law nor the Severity of its Threatnings he hath a Calm and Peace because he never imputed his Numerous sins to himself or bound his Heinous Iniquities on himself The Soul is a dead Sea without motion towards God and yet is a calm and quiet Sea without dread and fear of God But when God intends good to the Soul first the Commandment comes Rom. 7.9 and then Sin Revives and a Storm is raised in the Soul but in due time Faith comes Gal. 3.25 and then the Soul is calmed and quieted being Justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 If you were nevere burdened you cannot be eased if you were never broken you cannot be bound up if you were never mourners you cannot be Comforted if you never tasted the bitterness of Sin you cannot tast the sweetness of the Grace of Christ and experience his purifying Blood and his reviving Righteousness If you are Justified How did you come by Pardon and Peace Can you call them Naphtali that you got them by wrestling It is said Israel shall be Justified and saved Isa 45.17 last Jacob wrestled with the Angel for a Blessing his Conscience might accuse him for Fraud and Lying in procuring the Blessing from blind Isaac yet he held the Angel fast said he and would not let him go except he did Bless him Gen. 32.26 And for this his Name was changed and he was called Israel Gen. 32.28 When we find Sin stirring in us when Conscience accuses the Law curses God according to the first Covenant condemns To Believe on Christ for Righteousness is as Peter's walking on the Sea in a storm If we have ever felt the smart of our wounds the Schorching heat of God's Wrath the Burning Poyson of the old Serpent in our Consciences If 〈◊〉 were ever arrested arraigned condemned shut up surely in the anguish of your Souls you have cryed out We are destitute of Righteousness and where shall we find it we have contracted guilt and provoked Wrath And where shall we be Found 2. Were you ever divorced from and dead to the Law and Covenant of Works as your First Husband and then Married to Christ we are first joined to the Law and the Covenant of Works as our First Husband and it makes us a jointure of Life upon condition of perfect Obedience The Apostle compares the Law to a Husband but the froward Heart of Man is not subject to this Husband The more the Commands of the Law are urged on it the more it contradicts and Rebels The motions of Sin are said to be by the Law Rom. 7.5 but the Fruits of Righteousness are by Jesus Christ Phil. 1.11 The Law cannot Sanctifie or Justifie us this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.3 the thing that is impossible to the Law Have you therefore been divorced from and become dead to the Law Rom. 7.4 as it is a Covenant of Works Have you despaired of finding righteousness in your selves and of obtaining a Blessing from the Law and so have looked and fled to Jesus Christ †Heb. 12.24 as those that have been pursued by sin and the wrath of Ged Paul saith Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a Man is not Justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ Even we have Believed in Jesus Christ that we might be Justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law For by the Works of the Law shall no Flesh be Justified 3. Are you Sanctified Justification and Sanctification always go together as in the Natural Body the Blood and Spirits do flow out together so the Blood and Spirit of Christ are always joined John 19.34 Blood and Water Signifiing the Spirit came together out of Christ's Side He comes by Water and Blood 1 John 5.6 else he would be but half and imperfect Saviour As the same day that the Waters went off form the Earth and were gathered into the Sea the Earth was adorned with Grass Herbs Flowers Trees Gen. 9.11 So when a deluge of Wrath goeth off from the Soul it is presented adorned with the grace of the Spirit and called a Tree of Righteousness Isa 61.2 Those that are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus are also Justified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 If God Loves the Soul he makes it Lovely If Christ washes you he also makes you Kings and Priests Revel 1.5 6. You are no longer Vassals to your Lusts but as Kings rule in your own Hearts You check vain thoughts
destitute of the Love of God and God that is a consuming Fire to Sinners and therefore this is a fit season for the Singing of Birds Justified Souls will sing Praises to God that heals their Backslidings and to Jesus Christ that is their Righteousness and Ransom The Redeemed of the Lord shall return to Zion with Songs Isa 35. last Though the Ark was heavy laden with Noah his Family all the Birds Beasts living creatures and suitable Food for them that was laid up in the Ark yet it did not sink but was born up by the Waters so what matter of Praise is it that we that are heavy laden with Iniquity are born up by the blood of Christ and do not sink into Predition We are guilty Creatures our mouths are stopt as we are Sinners Rom. 3.19 But O! what a wonderful and amazing change is this that we should be so Justified by the Grace of God and thorugh the Redemption of Christ that the mouths of Spiritual Enemies and accusers are stopt Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that Justifieth Who shall condemn it is Jesus Christ that hath died Our Lips were sealed up with Guilt now the mouths of Accusers are stopt by Christ's Satisfaction And shall not our Lips be opened and our Tongues loosed to Sing aloud of God's Grace and of Christ's Righteousness 8. Are we willing to go out of this World to die and to be with God and Jesus Christ those that are Justified have Peace with God and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Rom. 5.1 2. Those that are in a Storm do dread the Shore least they should be Shipwrackt but they that have good weather do desire it Tho' Condemned Sinners shall be cast away on the Shores of a miserable Eternity yet Justified Souls shall be landed safe in the Harbour of a blessed Eternity When others pass into the Prison Justified Persons enter into the Palace of God When the Tares are reaped for the Furnace Believers are reaped for and gathered into the Garner Matth. 3.12 Will Justified Persons shun the Glorious Presenc of God or slavishly dread his Tribunal Shall Pardoned and Adopted Persons be afraid to go home to their Father and be put into the possession of their Heavenly Inheritance Are you therefore willing to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5 6 8. It is a great thing to be willing to part with the Body that is one half of us to leave it in the dark Chamber of the Grave to feed Worms to crumble to Dust to sleep for a long Night till the Morning of the Resurrection Yet Paul saith We are always confident and willing to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. The sight of Christ's Face the enjoyment of his Glory is more to me then Union with the Body Can you therefore conquer the Fears of Death Are you willing to leave your place on Earth to enjoy the Place prepared for you in Heaven to put off the Rags of Mortality that you may be clothed with the Robes of Glory to quit your Tabernacle for a Heavenly House 4. Vse O! desire earnestly and seek diligently to partake of this Righteousness of Christ 2. If you are interested in it if Jehova be your Righteousness O be thankful for it 1. O seek that Jehovah may be your Righteousness For the prosecuting of this First Branch of the Use of Exhortation I shall do two things 1. I shall lay down some Motives to quicken and urge you to seek an Interest in Christ's Righteousness 2. I shall lay down some Directions how you may partake of and be Invested with the Righteousness of Christ 1. Consider the great want and need you have of this Righteousness 1. In your Natural State you are far from Righteousness Isa 46. Ye stout-hearted that are far from Righteousness and You are free from Righteousness Rom. 6.20 that is a Carnal Man hath nothing to do with it they are not under the Empire Dominion and Command of it Men are dead Trees and therefore can bring forth no good fruit but they are corrupt Trees and are laded with evil Fruit. As they are alienated from the Life of God they cannot act for him or please him Ephes 4.8 Rom. 8.8 but as they have a Carnal Life they cannot act against him and walk contrary to him Mens thoughts are evil from their youth Gen. 8.21 yea they are born flesh John 3.6 yea the Holy Ghost goes one step farther In sin they are conceived in iniquity they are shapen Psal 51.5 they are not only idle and do not work Matth. 20.6 but they are dead and cannot work for God 2 Col. 13. A corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit Matth. 7.17 18. The carnal mind is enmity to God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.8 A Natural Man is so far from being Sanctified by his Religious Services that he pollutes them all Hag. 2.14 15. The Sacrifice of the Wicked that is his best Actions and the way of the Wicked that is his common Actions are both an Abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 9. The Law will not acknowledge in or allow to an Unconverted Man one good Work Rom. 3.20 by the Law comes only the knowledge of sin The Scripture that is the Law hath concluded all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things of an Unregenerate Man under Sin all done by him all that flows from him all the Thoughts Intentions Affections Words and Actions of such The Mind is darkness Ephes 5.8 And can a blind Archer aim right at the Mark The Heart is Whorish Ezek. 6.9 And will a Whorish Heart love God or direct any action to please him Can a corrupt Fountain send forth sweet waters Men till Regenerate do nothing else but sin the Plague of the Heart infects all the Leprosie of the Soul defiles all that a Man doth 1 Kings 8.38 as a Fountain casts forth its water so they cast forth their wickedness Jer. 6.7 The whole Life of Men is cursed barrenness or wicked fruitfulness Christ is said to be the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the World 1 John 29. it is expressed in the singular number the sin of the World to Note and signifie to us that the whole Life of an Unregenerate Man is one continued sin wholly a course of Enmity Provocations and Rebellions against God Zech. 3.3 4 We have that expression Take away the filthy garments This Notes that all the acts of an Unregenerate Man are filthy and only filthy Garments They are all over defiled and therefore wholly to be taken away But the expression is otherwise concerning the Saints that they washed their Garments white in the blood of the Lamb Revel 7.14 the Garments were not wholy cast off or put away but washed There
was some good in them and yet they had Spots and Stains to be washed out This is the difference between an Unregenerate and a Regenerate Man that an Unregenerate Man needs to be dipt wholy into the Red-Sea of the Blood of Christ All is corrupt and defiled he needs a general Pardon for his whole Life for all his Thoughts Words and Actions But as Christ saith to Peter A Believer that is washed needeth not to save to wash his Feet but is clean every whit as one that hath been in a Bath and there washed his whole Body yet as he comes out and walks to his Lodging he may defile his Feet and need to wash them Believers need not Pardons for their whole State as the Unregenerate have but for their particular Failings and Defects in their Actions 2. All your Sins are Recorded till you are Justified They are Written in God's Book Behold it is written before me Isa 65.6 The Great King Writes the Chronicle of all his Subjects and of all their Thoughts Words and Actions throughout the World and all Ages That must needs be an Infinite Mind that can Know and Remember so many things Mens Iniquity is said to be Written so to be marked before God Jer. 2.22 and there is a Counter-part of this Record kept in the Sinner's own Conscience Jer. 17.1 The sin of Judah is graven with a Pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond But where It is answered In the Table of their heart From hence the sin did flow and hither did the guilt of it return When a sin is committed and when a Debt is contracted Conscience keeps the Bond and in due time will bring it forth and joyn with the Judge in his Charge and Accusation Conscience is now loaded with dead Works yet stupid Sinners do not feel it a Mountain of Guilt is upon them yet they are not sensible of it Sinners cannot cross God's Book or Cancel their own Bond but the time is at hand when the Guilt of Sin will revive when Men shall taste the bitterness and feel the burthen of their Iniquities 3. Till Christ becomes your Righteousness your Souls are shamefully naked Revel 3.17 As Men are poor they are void of an Inherent Righteousness and as they are naked they are destitute of an imputed Righteousness they have nothing to Cloath the Soul or hide its Sins God's eye is a pure eye Habb 1.13 and a glorious eye Isa 3.8 But how do Mens sins offend this pure and affront this glorious eye of God What a Loathsome Hateful and Abominable Creature is a Soul deprived of the Image of God and depraved after the Image of Satan Thy bodily nakedness would be abhorred by Men And will not thy Soul-nakedness be more detested by God How naked is the Mind without the Knowledge of God And how naked is the Will without the Love of God the Image of God is the Glorious Cloathing of the Soul the want of this Image is the shameful nakedness of the Soul Till the Righteousness of Christ is spread over the Soul the Glorious Image of God is not put on it 4. Till we are Justified there is a Breach between God and us and this Breach stands open and we need a Mediator to stand in this Breach Psal 106.23 When the Wall of our Innocency is broken we are exposed to the Inrodes and Invasions of Revenging Justice Sin makes a large and wide breach between God and us God as an Enemy may enter at this Breach to destroy us a deluge of Wrath and Misery may pour in at it to overwhelm us None can stand in this Breach but Jesus Christ as a living Advocate and nothing can stop this Breach but the Dead Body of the Son of God If the Sea makes a Breach in the Banks of Holland the Law of the Countrey encourages them to throw Beds or any other of their valuable Goods into the Breach to stop it and they shall be recompensed for them Sin hath made a Breach and nothing but the Precious Life of the Son of God could stop this Breach The awakened Sinner considers how he shall appear before God he inquires whether he must not bring and offer the Fruit of his Body for the Sin of his Soul Mic. 6.6 7. this is indeed chargeable to offer to stop the Breach with the Sacrifice of a Child But this is but vain For it is not our First-born but God's only Begotten Son that must stop and fill up this Breach John 3.17 18. 5. There is a dreadful storm that in the Cloud of the Threatning hangs over the heads of Sinners Psal 11 6. God will Rain Snares Fire Brimstone and a horrible Tempest on the wicked this shall be the portion of their Cup. This Cup shall come to their lips this storm shall fall on their Souls If God Rains the storm must needs be Terrible Gen. 7.4 I will Rain so it is in the Hebrew This intimates this Rain should be extraordinary it should fall with great voilence it should not be as an ordinary Rain that is as a gentle sweat through the pores of the Clouds but now the Windows of Heaven should be opened Gen. 7.11 The Sinners of the old World did not believe that God had such vast Treasures of Waters in the Clouds so secure Transgressours do not now Credit that there are such Treasures of Wrath laid up to punish them and as the Fountains of the great deep were then broken up Gen. 7.11 So these depths of Guilt and Terrour that are in Conscience will one day be broken up If God Rains the storm is inevitable He Rains Snares that as Sinners cannot hinder this storm form above so they cannot fly from it below If God Rains Fire and Brimston the storm will be Eternal the Cloud of God's anger will never be wearied or wasted If Christ be not Mens Passover 1 Cor. 5.7 They or their Sins connot be passed by or passed over Micah 7.18.19 If their Sins did not fall on Christ they must come down on their own heads Psal 68.21 Though by reason of unbelief God's Judgements are now far above out of the sight of Sinners Psal 10.5 yet their Eyes shall see their destruction and they shall drink of the Wrath of the Almighty Job 21.20 The long and large Roll of the Curse will in due time fly to them Ezek 52.2 3 4 and then will stay and lie upon them for ever Deut. 29.20 All the Curses in this Book shall lye upon him 6. All the Sins of Men are as so many Evidences and Witnesses against Transgressors these Evidences are preserved and kept safe their Sins are hid that they may not be lost Hos 13.12 The Iniquity of Ephraim is bound up his Sin is hid Their Iniquity is bound up that in due time it may be bound on them their Sin is so hid that it shall be found brought forth and charged on them As the Depositions of Witnesses and the Confessions of
Criminals are sowed up and sealed up in a bag to be produced at the Trial of an Offender so are the Sins of Men Job 14.17 So many Sins as Men have committed and are unpardoned so many witnesses have they provided against the day of their Trial. Jer. 14.7 O Lord our Iniquities testifie against us Read Isa 59.12 Our Sins are not only as dead records but as living witnesses not only as matter of accusation but as accusers they cry to Heaven to kindle wrath against us and pluck down vengeance on us Gen. 18.20 21. Sodom's Sins did cry to Heaven against it Little do Sinners think that they are daily filling Gods Book with complaints and accusations and filling his Treasury with Wrath and piling up Fuel to burn and Torment themselves It is nothing else but the speaking Blood of Christ that can stop the mouths of these witnesses and silence the clamours of their Sins 7. Every Sin deserves Eternal death Rom. 6. last Death is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wages of Sin The word signifies Soldiers wages Luke 3.14 They that cleave to Satan as their General that stay in his Tents Fight on his side against God shall have Eternal death as wages paid to them Tribulation is due to the Body Anguish to the Soul and Conscience of every Transgressor Rom. 2.9 God will repay fury Isa 59.18 he will render anger to his adversaries Isa 66.15 8. Consider there is Judgement to come Heb. 6.2 God seeth all Mens Provocations Hos 5.3 Prov. 15.3 Jer. 13. last And he will be a swift witness against them Mal. 3.5 God hath not in vain Registred the Sins of Men the Book of God and the Eye of the Soul shall be opened no Sin shall be forgotten Amos 8.7 all shall be brought to light Eccles 11.9 1 Cor. 4.5 and be brought into Judgment Eccles 12.14 There will not only be a Resurection of Bodies but a Reviving and Remembrance of Sins If your Sins are not pardoned but remain before God's Face Psal 90.8 They will shortly be reviewed by God and set in order before your face Psal 50.21 If you inherit the Sins of your whole life Job 13.26 you will be Heires of Shame Misery and Eternal Torments 2. Motive Consider what great advantages we have in these times of the Gospel as to a participation of this Righteousness of God 1. It is now wrought out and perfected Jesus Christ hath been a Faithful High-Priest Heb. 2.17 And a Righteous servant Isa 53.11 God devolved the greatest trust on Christ and he undertook took the hardest and most noble work even to make Restitution to God for the wrong we had done him and to make Reconciliation for us to appease the Wrath we had provoked and to divert form us the Punishment we had deserved The Jews thought of old that their High-Priest was trusted with their greatest concerns and for fear he should be a Sadducee or out of heedlessness neglect any part of his Office on the day of Atonement they used Solemnly to swear him to a full and faithful discharge of his Office in the great Work of that day But our Lord Jesus Christ was by fervent love to his Father and his People Heartily and throughly engaged in this great Work he undertook and hath fully discharged it He glorified God on Earth he finished the Work he gave him to do John 17.4 He would not dye till he could say all was finished John 19.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How honourable a word is this to Christ And how Comfortable a word is this to us Jesus Christ as the slain Goat did bear our Sins and as the Scape-Goat he did bear them away As God did lay Sins on Christ Isa 53.6 so he purged them Heb. 1.3 and put them away He hath been a most Righteous servant to God his very Sufferings that in a Moral sence were Punishments yet in a Legal sence were Righteousness Jesus Christ is perfected himself Heb. 5.9 And he hath by one Offering for ever perfected us Heb. 10.14 There is signal evidence and demonstration that Jesus Christ hath finished his Work for he could not else have confidently commended and committed his Soul to his Father Luke 23.46 He would not else have been welcome to him and Received by him John 16.10 The World was to be convinced of Christ's Righteousness by this argument that he did go to the Father and they did see him no more on Earth How could he have ventured into the glorious Presence of God if he had not Righteously performed what he undertook Would not the Father have sent him back again into the World if he had omitted or left any thing undone But Christ saith he should be seen on Earth no more in the form of a Servant to do any Work in a state of Humiliation 2. The Father Raised him up from the Dead 1. Pet. 1.21 He Released our Surety out of the Prison of the Grave which he would not have done if the debt had not been fully paid Therefore an Angel came down from Heaven to roll away the Stone from Christ's Grave Matth. 28.2 This was an Officer from the great Judge of Heaven and Earth to free our surety and to evidence that God was satisfied and did allow Christ's Resurrection 3. The Father exalted Jesus Christ by his own right Hand Acts 5.31 And gave him Glory that we might be encouraged and emboldened from thence to act our Faith and hope in God 1 Pet. 1.21 4. Jesus Christ is sat down at the Right Hand of God in the Heavenly Sanctuary Heb. 1.3 Heb. 12.2 What an honour was this to our High-Priest to sit down in the true Holy of Holies When the High-Priest under the Law might not sit down in the Typical Holy of Holies And Christ's siting down did shew he had done his Work and might now take his rest This the Apostle makes the great difference between Christ and the Priests of the Law If they stood dayly Ministring and Offering Sacrifices that could never take away Sin But Christ When he had Offered one Sacrifice for ever be sat down on the Right Hand of God Heb. 10.11 12. The Priests of the Law did go on in their Ministry they stood Offering Sacrifices their Work was never at an end they could never sit down But Christ hath Finished his Work and therefore is sat down and expects that all his Enemies shall be made his Footstool Heb. 10.13 5. Jesus Christ as he is released so he Preaches the opening of the Prison to us Isa 61.1 God's Prison is not Forced or Broken but opened in a Righteous way our Ransom being paid Matth. 20.28 Christ therefore now comes to the Prison-door and saith to the Prisoners Come forth you that were hid in Prisondarkness now shew your selves and appear with boldness and confidence in the Heavenly Sanctuary Isa 49.9 2. The Righteousness of Christ is now brought Dan. 9.24 To bring Everlasting Righteousness Eternal Redemption is now
he that Instructs us should learn obedience himself Heb. 5.8 The Father that laid Sins inflicted Punishment executed the Curse on Christ was as the Master and the Son that endured all things was as the Scholar He learned by experience what a hard and difficult thing Obedience was how costly and painful it was to subject himself to the Father loading him with Sins and sorrows chastising him for our Iniquities bruising him for our Transgressions that such an Obedience should be rendered by the Son is a deep Mystery and we should never have known it if Jesus Christ had hid it in his heart As the Israelites did not know Manna Dent. 8.3 he fed thee with Manna which thou knewest not neither did thy Fathers know when they found it and saw it first on the ground they wondered and cried out What is this Exod. 16.4 So the Margin renders the word very properly and this is most suitable to the following words for they wist not what it was To say they called it Manna for they wist not what it was is not so good and fit a sense Some have conceived that the phrase hidden Manna was borrowed from the Israelites Question and Ignorance of Manna indeed the Jews were and all Natural Men are ignorant of the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 The Wrath of God is indeed revealed from Heaven to all Men by Afflicting Providences Desolating Destroying Judgments as War Famin Pestilence Inundations and Earthquakes but the Righteousness of God is only revealed in the Gospel God might have stopt in the Revelation of his Wrath and have gone no farther but he hath proceeded to reveal his Righteousness in the Gospel that he is Just and the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. The Fountain is now opened in which we must wash the Ransom is now paid for which we must be Released the Obedience is now performed by which we must be Justified The Sun of Righteousness is now risen with Healing under his Wings Mal. 4.2 The glorious beams of this Sun of Righteousness dispels not only the thinner Mists of lesser Sins but the thickest Clouds of Heinous Iniquities that not only hide the Light of God's Countenance from us but would pour down a storm of Vengeance upon us 5. The Gospel is the Ministration of Righteousness 2 Cor. 3.9 and the Ministry of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 Christ in sprinkling Nations with the dew of the Gospel Isa 52. last he doth also sprinkle them with the drops of his Blood Jesus Christ is Justified himself Isa 50.8 and so in a full capacity to Justifie us and that because he hath born our Iniquities Isa 53.11 He that hath loosed his own pains of Death Act. 2.24 can loose our bonds of Iniquity There is an exhibiting and Communication of Righteousness for Justification in the Dispensation of the Gospel 3. Consider the Excellency of this Righteousness it is clean water to wash us Ezek. 36.25 It is clean Linen to adorn us Revel 19.8 Saints are but a Candle or Lamp of Righteousness but this is a Glorious Sun Mal. 4.2 It is a during lasting Righteousness it is styled Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 This garment never wears or decays It hath been of price and virtue in all Former Ages and it will last till the end of the World yea we may consider whether Saints shall not call Christ by this Glorious Name The Lord our Righteousness to Eternity A Candle wastes and consumes but so doth not the Sun So this Sun of Righteousness will never decay or lose his light and glory The Blood of Christ is still fresh he appeares even now as if he had been but a Lamb lately slain Revel 5.6 And because his Blood is still so fresh and the virtue of it so lasting therefore the Redemption that flows from it is Eternal Heb. 9.12 But more particularly I shall set forth the excellency of Christ's Righteousness and the pretiousness of his Sacrifice in these Following propositions 1. Jesus Christ's Obedience and Righteousness was one whole entire piece it was a continual Series of Holy acts without any interuption our Righteousness is made up of patches and pieces there are interuptions in our obedience but Christ obey'd during his whole Life and at last became obedient to the Death of the Cross Phil. 2.8 As Oxen of old did draw in the Yoke and at last were Offered in Sacrifice 2. Christ did neither stop or pause in his Work or stray at all from his way John 8.29 2. Jesus Christ did not pay our debt by halves but discharged it at once in an intire sum The Damned are always Suffering and yet never satisfie God But Jesus Christ offered one Sacrifice the vertue of which lasts for ever and by this one Sacrifice he perfected us for ever Heb. 10.12.14 Christ hath by this one Sacrifice put an end to all Offerings for Sin Heb. 10.18 Bloody Sacraments do cease in the Church and Bloody Sacrifices are much abolished now out of the World 3. Jesus Christ by his Sacrifice hath taken down the Vail and opened a way to the Heavenly Sanctuary This shewed that the Sacrifices of the Law were weak and defective that though they were still offered yet the Vail still stood and the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest those Sacrifices could not give access to God and entrance into Heaven But this discovered the excellency and efficacy of Christ's Sacrifice that when he Died Matth. 27.50 51. The Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom To intimate that now a way to Heaven was made by the renting the Vail of Christ's Flesh and by separating of his Soul from his Body Heb. 10.19 Christ by travelling to Heaven hath made a way by entring into it he hath made a door by landing on the Shores of a Blessed Eternity he hath made a Harbour this is a way still new a living way This way is never stale dead or out of date the High-Priest of old did kill a Sacrifice and with the Blood of it he entred into the Typical Holy of Holies Levit. 16.11.14 But the virtue of that Sacrifice was exhausted and the way made by it was dead so that he could not enter again a Second year without killing of a new Sacrifice But Christ's Sacrifice is of such virtue that it makes a way always new a living lasting way into the Heavenly Sanctuary that Believers in all ages may make use of 4. Jesus Christ hath carried his Blood into Heaven and Sprinkled the Throne of God with it The Mercy-Seat was sprinkled with the Blood of the Sacrifice Levit. 16.14 and this did figure and teach that the Throne of God must be sprinkled with the Blood of Christ and how admirable a change doth it make by turning a terrible Tribunal of Justice into a sweet and amiable Throne of Grace Heb. 4. last Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace Dan. 7.9 10.
Justified in such a Righteous way therefore they may Glory Isa 45. last against all Accusations and Accusers against all Dangers and Threatnings 2. The Justified are Redeemed from the Curse and delivered from the wrath to come 1. They are Redeemed from the Curse by Christ's being made a Curse Gal. 3.13 The Apostle used the Abstract taking it from Deut. 21. last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is Hanged is the Curse of God God did take order for the Burying of him the same day that he was Hanged Deut. 21.22 23. Cocceius doth think that this very Law pointed at Christ and doth Teach us that Jesus Christ by bearing the Curse so abolished it that it was Buried with him the same day in his Grave As sin is covered and hid Psal 32.1 so the Curse also must be Buried out of God's sight 2. They are delivered from Wrath and that because Jesus Christ was delivered up to Sufferings and Death God delivered up Christ to Death Rom. 8.32 and therefore Jesus Christ can deliver us from Wrath 2 Thess 1. last The sins of the Elect met with Christ and fell on him with great violence the Reproaches of them that reproached God fell on him Rom. 15.3 The Ark was sitted to save Noah from the Flood that drowned others it was Pitched within and without Gen. 6.11 14. so that no water could come in So Christ was pitched within with a perfect sinless Righteousness and without with a spotless Obedience and so is able to protect us from the Deluge of God's Wrath. 3. Those that are Justified have peace with God and may dwell safe from the fear of evil Prov. 1. last As in the Text it is said Israel shall dwell safely The chastisement of our peace was laid on Christ We may put away our sins because God laid them on Christ It is a great thing to have Conscience purged from dead works Heb. 9.14 and to be purified from an evil Conscience Heb. 10.22 not to have Conscience as a continual accuser and tormentor Augustin in his Confessions saith He could remember his old sins without horrour A Man doth not fear a Cancelled Bond. The Israelites did not dread the drowned Egyptians when they saw them dead on the Sea-shore Exod. 14.30 The smart the anguish the burden of an accusing Conscience is not to be expressed I have Read of one Pausanias a Lacedemonian Captain that killed a Virgin that was brought to him but would not be exposed to his Lust After this Cruel Fact he was seized with such Horrour that though he being a Heathen himself had tried all the ways of Purification in use among them yet he could not recover any Peace but was a continual Terrour to himself Pausanias a Grecian Writer hath this History in his Laconica Varenius in his History of Japan cap. 5. tells us of one Angarus a Native of Japan that Murder'd a Man and was seized with such Terror and Anguish of Mind that he could not shake off or get rid of But hearing of a New Religion Taught in China and in the East Indies he took a Voyage and Sailed to meet with Francis Xavioeur that by his Instructions he might get some Healing of his wounded Conscience and was the first Instrument to bring the Christian Religion into Japan O! what an excellent Fruit is this of Christ's Blood to be delivered from the beginnings of Hell in Soul Torments and to have the First-fruits of Heaven in Spiritual Peace and Joy 4. Those that are clothed with Christ's Righteousness have a sure and permanent state of Justification so that new Acts of Guilt shall not subvert and destroy it or lay their Persons under the Sentence of Eternal Death There is a simple hatred and guilt and there is a hatred and guilt redounding on the persons of Offenders Believers by and for new acts of Sin deserve to be hated of and condemned by God but guilt and hatred do not redound on their Persons but fall on their Sins It is very observable that though Simeon and Levi had been guilty of heinous crimes in killing the Shechemites yet they being probably Good Men in the Main Jacob doth not Curse their Persons but Curses their Anger and their Wrath Gen. 49.7 this was so cruel that it might have brought a Curse on them but Jacob that was guided by the Holy Ghost layes the Curse on their evil and extravagant Passions but not on their Persons It is expresly said There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 Jesus Christ can have no Accursed or Condemned Members such are passed from death to life and shall never come into Condemnation John 5.24 Jesus Christ hath Merited for Believers the Pardon of all their Sins and Christ still appears in the Presence of God to Answer Accusers and to prevent Condemnation Heb. 9.23 24. It would be very hard for any to assert that New Acts of Sin do stop or obstruct the Intercession of Christ for Believers If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous 1 John 2.12 His Righteousness doth render his Intercession powerful and prevalent for their pardon the Lamb of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking away the sin of the World John 1.29 The Blood of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth cleanse away sin It is God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.33 that is Justifying or that Justifieth These three expressions do note a continued act of God and Christ that Christ is still taking away sin cleansing from it to distill Justifying Believers from their Iniquities The Israelites that were the Church of God had an Atoning Sacrifice day and dight Burning on the Altar Numb 16.9 Psal 50.8 which did not only signifie their continual need of Pardon that sin might not fix and settle on them but did also import the perpetual influence and efficacy of the Blood of Christ for the keeping of Believers in a Justified State and acceptance with God If by reason of wrong steps taken God ceaseth to Justifie and the Blood of Christ to speak on the behalf of offending Believers they must certainly be Condemned If the guilt of one sin redounds on the person and sticks on the Soul a state of Justification is destroyed For how can a Man be Justified and Condemned at the same time if every new sin redounds on the Person and shuts it up under Guilt Then how can there be any such thing as a state of Justification continuing one hour But it is said ordinary Infirmities are pardoned without explicit or particular acts of Repentance but it is not so with greater sins But should not persons do well to consider whether God hath two ways to pardon whether a General Repentance will serve to remove some Sins but a more particular Repentance is requisite that God may pardon more heinous and grievous sins if these affect the person and lay him under Condemnation till deeper Repentance and more
greatest Evils so he Swears again to assure us of the greatest good By my self have I Sworn saith God to Abraham that in Blessing I will Bless thee Heb. 6.13 14. Those to whom Christ is made Righteousness do also receive the Holy Spirit The clean Water of Christ's Blood and the Spirit do go together Ezek. 36.25.27 Tit. 3.5 1 Cor. 6.11 Psal 51.12 Some call the gift of the Spirit Executive Justification they mean that God executes the Sentence of Justification by bestowing the Spirit to break off our Chaines burn up our Dross purge away our Filth and make us free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 Though the Law of Sin be a strong and powerful Law to inslave us yet the Law of the Spirit of Life is more mighty to set us free as Jesus Christ by his Blood redeems us to be the Temple of God so by his Spirit he comes into his Temple takes Possession of it and fills it with his Glory As we live by the Sentence of Justification so Christ lives in us by the Spirit of Sanctification Gal. 2.20 The Spirit is given as a Tree of Life and all Graces are the Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 The Holy Ghost is given as the well of all Living Waters and Spritual streames John 4.14 John 7.37 38 39. By Faith we drink in the very Well it self and therefore Believers can never be totally dry He that Believeth on me shall never thirst John 6.35 Observe and compare the words of God the Father Zech. 13.7 with the words of the Church Cant. 4. last As God said once Awake O Sword against my Shepherd against the Man that is my Fellow smite the Shepherd so the Church now saith daily Awake O North wind and blow O South wind upon my Garden that the Spices of it may flow forth Because the Sword of Justice hath awaked terribly against Christ the Spirit may sweetly awake and blow on our Soules excite quicken and draw forth Grace into act and exercise Christ gives his people the Glory that the Father gave him John 17.22 Musculus understands this Glory to be the gift of the Holy Ghost The Spirit was on Christ Isa 61.1 and given to him John 3.34 And Christ communicates this glorious Spirit to his Members as the soul of the whole mystical body and this makes them one with the Father and the Son and perfects them in one because they participate of the Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the Son and have by it a new divine Nature and do aim at design and seek the Glory of the Father and the Son as they do design their own Glory 6. The Prayers of Justified persons are acceptable to and powerful with God for the Spirit that testifies God's Grace to Believers doth make Intercessions in them As a Spirit of Grace it gives Encouragement to Prayer as a Spirit of Supplication it gives assistance in Prayer Zeck 12.10 Rom. 8.26 This is the Fire from Heaven that warms our cold hearts and kindles all our Sacrifices that they may flame upwards The Prayer of a Believer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 5.16 A deep in-wrought Prayer it is not born in the lips but springs from the Soul Luther on Genesis well expresses it it is not Spuma oris sed singulus cordis The Foam of the Mouth but the Throbbing and Sighing of the Heart The Holy Ghost breaths in Holy Affections and the Soul then breaths out holy desires and expressions Saints pray as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those that are possessed and acted mightily by the Spirit of God hence it is that they so strive and wrestle with God and their prayers are so much valued and desired by Christ Those are wonderful words Cant. 2.14 Christ saith to the Church Let me see thy face let me hear thy voice He that seeth his Father's Face above desires to see Petitioners Faces below He that hears the Songs the Hallelujahs of Angels of Saints in Heaven desires to hear the Voice the Suits of Believers on Earth And as their Prayers are desired so they are accepted The Prayer of the upright is God's delight Prov. 15.8 They Pray in Christ's powerful Name John 16.23 26. and he adds the Incense of his Merits to the Prayers of all Saints Rev. 8.3 and so takes away the Iniquity of their Holy Things The Altar had a Grate of Brass Exod. 27.4 the use of it was to separate the Earthy and Grosser part of the Sacrifice and to let the Ashes through So Christ is an Altar that hath a Grate he separates our sins our defects our weaknesses from our services yea he is the Altar on which our Offerings must be laid and that renders our Sacrifices acceptable to God Isa 60.7 It is said that the Offerings of Believers shall ascend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon Good-Will my Altar God speaks and puts this glorious Name on Christ Good-Will my Altar What an encouragement is this to Saints that are Spiritual Priests to offer Holy Sacrifices seeing they have Good-Will for their Altar God is so pleased with and delights in Christ that he calls him Good-Will my Altar 7. All the outward and Temporal Mercies of Justified Persons are heightened and sweetened to them by the Spring from whence they flow and they have a new tast He delivered me saith David because he delighted in me Psal 18.19 In love to my Soul saith Hezekiah he hath delivered me from the pit of corruption having cast all my sins behind his back Isa 38.17 Even Temporal Mercies are Glasses in which they see their Father's Face and are Stairs or Ladders by which their Hearts are raised to God Jehoshaphat had an Established Kingdom Riches and Honour in abundance And what was the fruit and effect of this his heart was lifted up in the ways of God 2 Chron. 17.5 6. Earthly Enjoyments do usually fuel Men's Lusts but they fed and inflamed Hezekiah's Love to God they are to Carnal Men Weights that press them down the Prosperity of Fools doth destroy them Prov. 1.32 but through Grace they are Wings to raise Saints Souls to God Believers enjoy their outward Mercies by a Spiritual Right they have them by Promise Heb. 11.9 Canaan was the Land of Promise and Abraham was Heir to it by the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.13 Sacrifices were slain that Typified Christ and then God entred into a Covenant with Abraham gave and assured Canaan to him Gen. 15.8 9 10 17 18. Believers have a Right to Earthly things by God's Promise and Christ's Death who is the Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 Earthly things are but as Cyphers but God adds a great Figure to them to make them signifie something Gen. 17.8 I will give thee the Land of Canaan and I will be thy God they are to Believers but additional things as an over-plus cast into the Kingdom of God as the Principal Matth. 6.33 So the Country of Sihon and Og the King of
Cor. 15.21 22. 11. Christ that is our Righteousness will be our Judge Acts 17.31 and will he not clear and acquit those that he hath already Justified Isa 53.11 Christ now over-looks the Failings of his People he calls the Church Vndefiled when she confessed her Infirmity that she Slept Cant. 5.2 He saith to his Disciples you have abode with me in my Temptations Luke 22.28 He might as truly have sald you are those that will presently fly and leave me in and under my greatest Temptation but Christ passes over this in the great day he mentions the Fruits of his Peoples charity to their honour Matth. 25.35 36 37. He rips not up their failings and defects in Love to their disgrace Is it likely that he who is our Saviour our Mediator our Advocate our Bridegroom will bring forth to Light all our Sins Will he not own his own Righteousness imputed to them Recognize his own Blood Sprinkled on them and do Right to it Will he not give forth the White Stone to them that are cloathed with Linen white and clean Revel 2 17. Revel 19.8 The new Covenant pardons Jer. 31.34 Ezek. 36.25 And as there hath been Sententia Legis the Sentence of the Law of Grace so there shall be Sententia Judicis the Sentence of the Judg to confirm and fully execute it Sins shall be blotted out not only out of God's Book and out of our Consciences but also out of our conditions that in them shall Remain no Footstep of Sin or mark of Wrath. Believers could not be safe or set beyond danger if he were not their Judge who was made Sin and a Curse for them and procured Reconciliation and Remission and Eternal Life to be bestowed on them The last Act of Christ is not only a Kingly but a Sacerdotal or Priestly Act After the Priest of the Law had offered Sacrifice and Burnt Incense then he came forth and Blessed the people For this Reason the people waited for the coming forth of Zechary the Priest Luke 1.21 So our great High-Priest will Crown his Sacrifice and intercession with a Blessing Matth. 25.34 Come ye Blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World 5. Consider the woful condition of those that are not Interested in this Righteousness 1. It is wished as the worst Curse and denounced as the greatest Evil for Men not to come into the Righteousness of God Add Iniquity to their Iniquity and let them not come into thy Righteousness Psal 69.27 It was the Sin of the Jews that they Submitted not to the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 and this is inflicted as a suitable punishment Let them not come into thy Righteousness Their own choice is turned into a dreadful imprecation for 1. Such will add Iniquity to Iniquity as it is expressed in the Psal 69.27 They will do nothing else but multiply provocations increase guilt heighten and inflame Wrath run further from God and harden themselves more against God 2. Such as Reject Christ and his Righteousness are under the Law as a Covenant Gal. 4.21 This is their choice this is their desire they would be under the Law and this is a bad state for 1. The Law gives no strength or Life John 1.17 The Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ It is only an urging Letter an exacting Command all the Grace to obey comes by and from Jesus Christ The Law doth not quicken our dead Soules it is only a sound of words it gives us no power Therefore when the Israelites heard it they could not bear it but desired that the word should not be spoken to them any more Heb. 12.19.20 Hereby they confessed their guilt impotency insufficiency and utter despair of keeping the Law as it ought to be obeyed Hagar was a young Woman and bare Ismael by Natural strength So the Law supposes that we should have kept the strength that God bestowed at our first Creation and by it render perfect obedience to its Commands But the new Covenant restores Life and gives strength So Sarah though she was barren and now past age yet by Faith received strength to conceive Seed Heb. 11.11 But the Law gives no strength furnishes us with no new stock to trade again with It doth not change the Table of the Heart it is still a Stony hard Rebellious Heart The Law is weak as to its commands because our Lusts are so strong and its Promises are weak and ineffectual because our Flesh is so powerful and predominant Rom. 8.3 Moses did only hew smooth and plain the Tables Exod. 34.1 but he did not make them soft they still remained Stone So however the Law may smooth and polish Men's Conversations yet their wills are still perverse and obstinate against its Spiritual Commands Isa 48.4 I knew thou wast obstinate and hast an Iron sinew Moses did Conquer the utmost Borders and the out-skirts of Canaan as the Country of Sihon and Og the King of Bashan but did not pierce into the Heart of the Country and subdue it This was lest to Joshua a Type of Jesus Christ The utmost the Law doth is but to restrain Sin in the Conversations and to Reform the Life when Men serve in the oldness of the Letter but Sin still keeps its Throne in the Heart Proud Hypocrisy or raging Despair is usually found in Legalists Though the Israelites heard the Law given by God himself saw his dreadful terrible Majesty and Glory in the giving of it yet they presently fell to Idolatry Exod. 32.1.4 5 6. This Idolatry so soon Commited did shew that the Law gave no power to obey and fullfil its own Commands 2. The Law abates nothing remits nothing of its demands on the account of our weakness It requires as much service of Sick and weak Man as if he were sound and strong It calls for as full payment of the poor Bankrupt Creature as if it were Rich The Law makes no composition with or allowance to decayed and insolent debters yea though it doth Curse us for our Disobedience to and Enmity against God yet at the same time it Requires us to Love God with all our Heart Mind Soul and Strength Matth. 22.37 3. The Law by woful experience is found to stir up Sin when it 's most pure and Spiritual Commands are urged upon the Conscience The motions of Sin are said to be by the Law Rom. 7.5 When the strict Commands of the Law are pressed on the Conscience indweling Sin rouses up it self growes more Violent and Outragious A Bridge set over and giving some check to a stream causes its smooth calm waters to rage and make a noise so Sin becomes more impetuous by that opposition that it meets withal from the Law of God The Apostle Paul saith That Sin taking occasion by the Law deceived him and so slew him Rom. 7.7 8 9 10 11. When the Commandments came Sin revived raised up it self more
to resist and contradict the Law of God This was very strange and surprizing to Paul he was decived in this he thought the Law would have repressed beaten down and mortified Sin but it rather fortified it As a Man that doth not know the Nature of Burning Lime thinks by pouring a little water on it to quench it but when he seeth that this water makes it to burn more vehemently and fiercely How would he as amazed cry out How am I deceived that the water should increase the Fire that I thought would extinguish it So the Law doth not weaken Sin but rather strengthen it and render it more violent 4. The Law punishes every Sin with Death Every Lust is mortal every wrong step is fatal and corrupt Fruit is pernitious and destructive Though Ismael might be guilty of many other offences yet for a weighty reason Moses mentions but one and that was his mocking at Isaac and for this he was cast out and cast off Gen. 21.8 9 10 11. Ismael was Hagar's Child and so a Type of them that cleave to the Covenant of Works The Law Curses for every act of Disobedience Deut. 27. last One offence according to the Covenant of Works is enough to undo and Ruin a Man to Eternity 5. There is no access to God by the Covenant of Works When the Law was given Bounds were set about Mount Sinai to keep off the people of Israel they were charged not to break through Death was denounced as the Punishment of those that touched the Mountain Exod. 19.12.13.21 The people therefore removed and stood a-far off Exod. 20.18 None of the other Priests or Worshiping Israelites might enter into the Tabernacle till Atonement was made for their Sins by Aaron the High-Priest Levit. 16 17. But after that Sacrifices were Slain Offered and their Blood Sprinkled on the Altar and the People then Moses Aaron and Seventy of the Elders of Israel ascended Mount Sinai and saw the Glory of the God of Israel Exod. 24.4 5 6 7 8 9 10. These Sacrifices were but Types of Christ's Death he died the Just for the Unjust to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 else we are shut out of the Glorious Presence of God and cut off from all Gracious and Blessed Communion with him God is not accessible by the Covenant of Works guilty Creatures are kept off from him 6. The Law genders to Bondage Galat. 4.22 a Spirit of Bondage to Fear attends it Rom. 8.15 as Hagar and Ismael had a slavish Fear of Abraham as a Master rather than a Conjugal Love to him as a Husband or a Filial Love to him as a Father Those under the Covenant of Works are still doubting of God's Favour questioning his Love dreading of his Wrath They do not know whither Death will carry them and where Judgment will fix them and therefore through the Fear of Death they are all their Life-time subject to Bondage Heb. 2.15 the fear of the evil that is future doth embitter to them all present Good The Law was given in such a Manner that it was designed to strike Fear and Terror into Sinners The Israelites were then alone with God in the Wilderness separated from all other Nations This might intimate that God and the Sinner shall be alone together and all pleasing Company and delightful Enjoyments shall be shut out The Thunder did roar in their Ears and the Lightning did flash and flame in their Eyes and the Earth did tremble under their Feet Exod. 19.16 18. Whither shall a Guilty Sinner betake himself when the Heavens do threaten Vengeance over his head and the Earth seems sinking under his feet The Mountain did burn with fire Exod. 19.16 18. with Deut. 5.23 this did represent the fiery Throne of God and his burning Wrath wherewith as a Judge he is Armed to punish and destroy those that trust in their Works and will have to do with God according to the Covenant of Works But though the Mountain did burn yet it was not consumed So guilty Creatures shall burn in the fire of God's Wrath yet never be consumed or cease to be There was Blackness Darkness and Tempest Heb. 12.18 These pointed at the perplexed state of a Sinner the horrour and consternation of the Soul when God the Judge doth shew his Justice and Wrath for the Violation of the Condition of the Covenant of Works O what black darkness will cover Sinners O what a Terrible Storm and Tempest will one day be raised in and fall upon their Souls The sound of the Trumpet that was exceeding loud Exod. 19.19 Heb. 12.19 did signifie that Sinners must be cited to and presented before the Tribunal of God neither can any decline or avoid appearing before God's Justice-Seat Yet the Apostle calls this Mount Sinai a Mountain that was in it self Tangible or might be touched that so it was an Earthly and Material Mountain because the Dispensation of the Law and Covenant of Works is but a low Dispensation A Natural Man may Touch and Reach this that God will inflict evil on those that rebel and do evil When as the Covenant of Grace is a Spiritual and Invisible Mountain far above the reach and comprehension above the sight and ken of a Natural Man And what did all this Terror in giving the Law tend to but to raise a Spirit of Bondage in sinners and by Fear to drive and force sinners to some External Obedience to the Letter of the Law which yet they perform with Regret and Reluctancy and not with Love and delight 7. There is no enjoyment of the Eternal Inheritance by the Law the Bond-woman and her Son were to be cast out Galat. 4.20 21. Gen. 21.8.10 Ismael was not admitted or allowed to be an Heir with Isaac He did not Inherit Abraham's Rich Estate Moses could not bring the Israelites into or give them possession of the Land of Canaan this Joshua the Type of Christ did Hagar and Ismael were turned out with a small pittance they had but a few Loaves and a Bottle of Water It may seem strange that Rich Abraham should provide no better for his Wife and Child but there was a Mystery in it it served to instruct us that those that are of the works of the Law cannot be Heirs of Heaven cannot possess any Spiritual Riches or an Eternal portion in Glory but are put off with Temporary Momentary Comforts and Enjoyments What are the best things that this World affords What are Earthly Riches Honours or Pleasures compared with an Eternal Happiness they are but as a few Loaves of Bread and a Bottle of Water When Hagar and Ismael were turned out they wandered in a Wilderness Gen. 21.14 O what a difference was there between the plenty and abundance of Abraham's Family and the wants of a Barren Wilderness The World it self is but a Wilderness compared with the Paradise of God Revel 2.7 A Legal state under the Covenant of Works What is it but a wretched
Barren Wilderness In our flesh dwells no good Rom. 7.18 and therefore the Law promises us no good And may not this state be fitly compared to a Wilderness in which we are destitute of all good 8. Though the Law be Ancient yet it is not Abrogated but still stands in full Force against those that are out of Christ Though Moses was old yet his Eye-sight did not decay neither did his Natural Force and Vigour abate Deut. 34.9 This seems to point at the Perpetual Strength and standing Obligation of the Law Mens Laws grow absolete and out of date by age they are silently Abrogated and Repealed but it is not so with God's Law As God required Moses's his Life when he was in full strength and then Buried him Deut. 34.5 6. So Christ puts an end to the Law as a Covenant of Works and Buries its Curse when it was in its full strength As many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse Gal. 3.10 though they are not grosly wicked but seemingly obedient to the Letter of it yet they cannot decline or avoid the Curse it will take hold of them and be executed on them It is dreadful to be under the Law tho' some inconsiderately desire to be under it Gal. 4.21 Dr. Addison in his Book of the Customs of the Jews in Barbary cap. 2. tells us of a proud Jew that said He would stand upon his own Legs he would not be beholding to any to Fulfil the Law for him or to satisfie for his sins but he would do it for himself and go to Heaven on his own Feet How many are there of the same mind with this Insolent and Ignorant Rabbi But those that stick to the Covenant of Works do put on themselves a Yoke Acts 15.10 that they are never able to bear they bind on themselves a Weighty Burden that will make their Backs to bow down alway Rom. 11.10 and cause their Loyns to shake Psal 69.23 Can you pay your Debt of Obedience or endure when God shall inflict upon you that Debt of Punishment that he owes you Can you stand when he doth mark your Iniquities Psal 130.3 Can your hands be strong Can your hearts endure in the day that God shall have to do with you Ezek. 22.14 and contend with you Job 9.3 Tho' you are now secure Will not your Peace then end in War Your Calm issue in a Storm your present silence terminate in the Loud Thunder of Wrath and Vengeance 3. If you are not Interested in this Righteousness and so not Pardoned God can take no Good out of his Treasury to give you in Mercy Hos 14.2 These two things are joyned together to take away Iniquity and make Good that which our Translators have rendred Receive us graciously it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and take Good that is take it out of thy Treasury to bestow it on us Good cannot be taken and given to us till Iniquity be taken from us Guilt is that mighty Damm that stops the Current of God's Goodness It is a Lock on God's Treasury it is a Seal on the Fountain of Life it separates between God and us and hinders Good things from us Isa 59.2 Jer. 5.25 Do any find a Drought of Mercy a Famin of Blessings let them thank their Iniquities for it these are the great Impediment the grand obstruction of Good things 4. God accepts no Service or Worship with Good Will from Persons Unjustified God's eye must first be opened on the Person as accepting him before his Ear is opened to his Prayer as regarding and approving it It may seem a strange expression that God's eye should be open to a Supplication yet this phrase is used 1 Kings 8.52 It intimates that God's eye must first be opened on the Person before his ear is opened and enclined to hear his Prayer God first had respect to Abel and then to his Offering Gen. 4.4 but God had no respect to Cain or to his Offering Gen. 4.5 it is very probable at least that God's rejecting Cain and his Offering was plainly to be discerned by some outward visible Sign or Token When God of old accepted a Sacrifice he did send Fire from Heaven to consume it Levit. 9. last 1 King 18.38 but it seems God did send no Fire from Heaven to consume Cain's Offering and so to Testifie that he was well-pleased with it and did accept of it Cain might take it away again and imploy it to a common use God did not value or regard it The main Ingredient that is requisite to season acts of Worship and to render them savoury to God was wanting Faith in the Promised Seed was necessary to endear the Person and commend the Offering to God but where this is not found God saith to Worshippers I have no pleasure in you neither will I accept an Offering at your band Mal. 1.10 5. All their Blessings are Cursed to them Mal. 2.2 Their prosperity doth destroy them Prov. 1.32 Honour heightens their Pride Riches Fetter and Chain their Minds and Hearts The Cares of the World are as an Over-burden or Lading to a Ship that hinders them from Sailing towards the Port of Heaven and sinks their Souls into Perdition Cares and Lusts are as Thorns that choak the good Seed of the Word and hinder it from bringing any Fruit to perfection Matth. 13.22 The Pleasures of the World do fuel their Lusts increase their Sensuality and exceedingly Carnalize their Minds and Affections 6. Every Attribute of God is terrible to them God's Holiness loathes them as unclean God's Justice hates them as Rebels and Enemies that press all the Creatures to take up Arms against their Maker but they themselves are Volunteers in this wicked Warfare Infinite Wisedom doth devise devices against them Jer. 18.11 doth invent meanes to punish and destroy them for God is wise in Heart and mighty in strength Joh 9.4 Infinite Power executes what Infinite Wisedom hath contrived God lives to Eternity to pour out the Vials of his Wrath on them and to measure out the Revenges of his Justice to them A Contending time will come Job 9.3 God's angry Face will be unvailed and his punishing Arm be made bare his Fury will come up in his Face Ezek. 38.18 and will be terribly Executed by his Hand Psal 21.8 His eares will be stopt against their cries His Bowels be shut his Heart be hardened against their misery They shall never see the Light Psal 49.19 They shall never see Life John 3. last They shall never tast of Christ's Supper Luke 14.24 Worms that die shall prey on their Bodies the worm that never dies shall feed on their Souls 7. Consider how bad it will be with those in a dying hour that have no Interest in Christ's Righteousness If Men are not Judicially blinded and hardened they cannot but be somewhat concerned about their Future state when they walk on the Borders and stand on the Brink of Eternity
by the Law By the Law is the Knowledge of our Sin not of our Righteousness Rom. 3.20 It discovers nothing but Sin in us shuts up all of ours under Sin Gal. 3.22 all the inward Operations of our Souls and all the Outward Acts of our Bodies it Condemns we are as it were put in Prison and shut up under Condemnation by the Law and all this is to cause us to find our need of and to make us Sigh and seek for a Redeemer to open our Prison-door and give Liberty to our Souls Isa 42.7 Isa 49.9 Isa 61.1 The Law if rightly understood drives us from it self I through the Law saith Paul am dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 As the Glorious Light that did shine in Moses his Face did Terrisie the Israelites and drive them from him discourage or deter them from coming near to him Exod. 34.30 32 33. So that Glorious Purity and Holiness that Impartial and Severe Justice that shines in the Face of the Law should drive us from Resting in or trusting on the Law for Righteousness and despair of ever being pronounced Righteous by it Shall the Law that was intended but for a School-Master to direct us unto Christ Gal. 3.24 be made a Father to give us an Inheritance of Righteousness But how many have grosly erred and grievously mistaken about this they have Enervated and Dispirited the Law of God they have pared off a great deal of its Purity cut off much of its Spirituality and made it to look like the Civil Law of Man as if it were given to check words and restrain outward acts but was not prescribed to the heart but the Law is like the Law-giver as he seeth the Motions of the Mind and Will so his Law forbids all evil Thoughts and Vile Affections and on this account it is called Spiritual Rom. 7.14 But the Jews especially the Pharisees did think the Law of God did not reach to Regulate or Condemn those Evils that were the meer Creatures of the Heart How else could the Elder Brother signifying the Pharisee say to God his Father Lo these many years have I served thee neither at any time have I transgressed thy word Luke 15.28 Paul when a Pharisee thought himself as touching the Righteousness of the Law to be blameless Phil. 3.6 These accounted themselves to be such Just Men that they needed no Repentance Luke 15.7 To these the Gospel is Foolishness 1 Cor. 2.14 Is it not folly to speak of Reconciliation Healing Liberty to those that never thought themselves to be Enemies to God to be Sick Prisoners or Captives How doth the Papists at this day pervert and corrupt the Law of God they call the most Spiritual part of it not a Command but a Counsel to Love God sincerely some of them will allow to be a Command but to Love him with all the Mind Soul Heart and Strength this they assert to be but a Counsel and not a Command And without this Wicked Opinion they cannot Maintain their other Errors that Men may be perfect in this Life and truly fulfil the whole Law of God Thus Men do at this day by their Corrupt Glosses False Distinctions Perverse Interpretations of the Law of God Undermine its Purity Spirituality and Perfection and so clap a Vail on Moses his Face that the Law may not be Terrible to them but that they may draw near to it and trust on it for their Justification Thus Men go about to establish their own Righteousness by derogating and detracting from the Extent and Obligation of the Law they Lower the Law that they may Heighten and Exalt their own Righteousness 3. Come to and descend into your selves that you may find out that evil Treasure that Root of Bitterness that Fountain of Iniquity that is in your selves Abraham as touching the Flesh did not find a Righteousness in himself to boast of and Glory in And can we find that in our selves that Abraham could not find in himself Rom. 4.1 2. If we cannot find Righteousness in our selves do we not need to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 To stay and trust on that Righteousness which is of God by the Faith of Christ we must desire God as Luther saith not only to turn away his Eyes from our Sins but also from our Services not only to forgive our wrong steps out of the way but also our slow steps in it when we are bought with so great a price and encouraged to run with so Glorious a Prize set before us We may see enough in our selves to Condemn us We are Children of Wrath by nature and Children of Disobedience by practice Every faculty is diseased and perverted every Work of ours is corrupted and defiled God threatens the Jews to spread the dung of their Solemn Feasts on their faces Mal. 2.3 The Beasts that were brought into the Courts of the Temple on the Feast-days did dung in them God seems to compare the faults and failings in the Jews Spiritual Sacrifices to the dung of those Beasts that were Offered up in Sacrifice Perhaps Paul may allude to this expression when he accounts his own Righteousness and priviledges to be but Dung there is some of the Dung of the Old Man that is vented in and mixed with our best performances that doth stain defile and in part at least render them unsavoury before God Sin dwells in us is present with us We can never shake it off shut it out or totally leave it behind us when we draw near to God We cannot put God in mind of one perfect duty but he can put us in mind of Thousands of defective Services performed by us If we dwell at home and trust in our selves Revenging Justice will break in upon us and destroy us If we stay abroad do not fly to and House our selves in Christ a storm of Fire and Brimstone will be Rained on us Psal 11.6 We needed Christ's Death on Earth and we want his Intercession in Heaven that the Iniquity of our Holy things may not be charged on us for our Condemnation and destruction 4. We must beware of unbelief as to God's threat'nings and take heed of Carnal security Sinners are too apt to take the shield of unbelief and to quench all the Fiery Darts of God's threat'nings which he casts at them How prone are presumptuous Sinners to give God the lie He saith There is no peace to the Wicked Isa 48. last yet Sinners do promise themselves peace though they walk in the Imaginations of their own evil Hearts Deut. 29.19 God saith of an ungodly Man That his eyes shall see his Destruction and he shall drink of the Wrath of the Almighty Job 21.20 yet he flattereth himself with vain hopes as those Jer. 5.12 Evil shall not come on us neither shall we see Sword or Famin. How dreadful is it when a Spiritual Lethargy is added to other diseases and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit of slumber falls on Men Rom. 11.8
Some conceive that the Apostle alludes to those that are bit wit an Asp if that Serpent doth prick them they doze slumber and die away The Old Serpent did not only Poyson us by his bite but also stupifie us that we might not be sensible of our danger Some are so deep asleep that though they are pricked yet it will not rouse them up even so many are in such a profound sleep that though God pricks them daily with his Threat'nings yet they are not awakened to a serrious Consideration and dread of approaching destruction God threatens it as a sore Judgement to the Jews that the Prophet Ezekiel should be dumb and that he should not be a Reprover to them Ezek. 3.26 And how long was he dumb it was till Jerusalem was taken and smitten Ezek. 33.21 22. It was but the Evening before a Messenger came with these bad tidings that Ezekiel's mouth was opened and he was no more dumb Ezekiel was dumb till the Judgement denounced was executed on the Jews and then it was too late to warn and Reprove them And wilt thou provoke God to lay thee under such a Spiritual Judgment Shall Conscience be dumb and not Reprove thee til Divine Vengeance fall on thee for thy destruction Take heed that thou dost not fortify and intrench thy self in Natural Religion Morality and Formal Duties and so bear the Siege and storm of powerful Preaching God complains of the Jews by Zechary that they made their Hearts as an Adamant Stone least they should hear the Law The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies a Stone that keeps it self from being broken though it have knocks yet it preserves it self Even so the Heart of Sinners keeps it self from being broken under the many Admonitions and Reproofs of the Word Beware that such a Heart be not found in thee Do not make light of or a mock at Sin Do not put the thoughts of thy Iniquity and of God's Wrath far from thee Sin lies at the door if not sooner it will arrest thy Soul when it goes out of the Body Gen. 4.7 Solomon saith That he that rolleth a Stone it shall return upon him Prov. 26.27 So if you Presumptuously roll away your Sins from you God will Righteously return them upon you God's Threat'nings are not an empty sound Sinners shall know to their cost that God hath not said in vain That he would poure out his Fury on them Ezek. 6.10 The day of Vengeance is in God's Heart Isa 63.4 The Cup of Fury is in his Hand Psal 75.8 Though there be a mixture of all fatal and deadly ingredients yet it is without any mixture of Mercy Rev. 14.10 The storm of Vengeance hangs over the Heads of Sinners Though it is said that now God's Judgments are far above out of the sight of Sinners Psal 10.5 yet they shall be so visible that their eyes shall see their Destruction Job 21 20. thy breath is in thy Nostrils Isa 2. last and may soon go forth the Judge stands at the door and may quickly enter in James 5.9 Wilt thou run on the point of God's Sword Wilt thou venture into Eternal Burnings 5. Beware and take heed of Carnal Reason that is enmity to God and to the Righteousness of God As the Israelites slighted the Bread that God gave them from Heaven did account it as no Bread Numb 21.5 There is no Bread and then they call it light Bread as if there were nothing solid in it or as if it did afford no substantial nourishment yea Numb 11.6 they complain that their Souls was dried away as if they did grow lean weak and feeble by reason of this poor and low sort of Food So Carnal Reason misrepresents the Righteousness of Christ as if it were nothing solid or substantial The Blasphemous Papists call Imputed Righteousness Putative Righteousness as if it did only spring up in and were born from the Fantasies of Protestants Proud Nature thinks the Righteousness that is wrought and brought forth by our selves to be the only substantial and valuable Righteousness but the Spiritual-minded as Paul do account the Righteousness of God the Righteousness that is by the Faith of Christ to be the most Rich Possession and valuable Food of the Soul Phil. 3.8 9. My flesh saith Christ is Meat indeed and my Blood is drink indeed John 6.55 This is the true Bread John 6.32 6. Beg the Spirit to convince thee of sin John 16.8 9. to cut thy stock that the Graft of the Free Promise of Righteousness may be let into thy heart to raise a Storm in thy Soul that all thy Carnal Confidence and Fleshly Righteousness may be Ship-wrackt In a great and dangerous Storm Mariners will throw Silks and Satins over-board rather than perish themselves Confidence in thy best Works must be cast out that thy Soul may be preserved and brought to the desirable Haven of Christ's Righteousness As the Angel that was the Son of God Wrestled with Jacob and put his Thigh out of Joynt Gen. 32.25 even so Christ by his Spirit must powerfully Wrestle with us to Mortisie our Carnal Confidence and put our Thigh out of Joynt We are apt to trust in our selves that we are Righteous as those Luke 18.9 While we thus trust in our selves our Bone is in Joynt we are at ease and have a Carnal Feace but our Bones must be put out of Joynt that we may have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 Our Heaven of Religion and our Earth of Morality must be shaken to pieces before we will come to Christ Hag. 2.6 7. we must see our selves cast away or else we will not enter into Christ as an Ark of Salvation 7. We must fly to and trust on Christ for Justification Gal. 2.16 17. as God is said to pardon Iniquity Transgression and Sin Exod. 34.67 so it is said of Christ That he came to finish the Transgression to make an end of Sins and to make Reconciliation for Iniquity God Pardons but it is through Christ He remembers Iniquity no more Jer. 31.34 but it is because the clean Water of Christ's Blood is sprinkled upon us Ezek. 36.25 We must look off from our selves and look only to Christ there is not any thing Inherent in us or performed by us that is our Righteousness we are not Justified by what we find in our selves but by what we know in Christ Is 53.11 not by what we have done but by what the Lord Jesus Christ hath suffered Christ's Obedience and Righteousness is contradistinguished from and opposed to our Inherent Righteousness Phil. 3.8 9. we are not to stay in our selves but to be found in him We are to be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Christ did not Merit or procure that we should have a Righteousness of our own and in our selves to be Justified by We are to renounce our own Righteousness as filthy rags and to trust only on Christ's Righteousness as our next
Grace or Good till we trust on the Righteousness of Christ by which we procured and receive all good things 2d Branch of the Vse of Exhortation Is Jehovah become our Righteousness O! admire Grace in it and bless God and Christ for it that you have such a Foundation to Build on such a Sacrifice to Feed on such a Pretious Remedy to be Healed by such an Excellent Fountain to Wash in the Clefts of such a Rock to dwell in Our Justification seemed impracticable yea impossible we could not raise up our low Valley or fill up the wide Breach that our Iniquities had made we had not wrought that Righteousness or performed that obedience that the Law requires We could neither make a Present to God's Holiness or pay a Ransom to his Justice yet God compares the Rejection of his People to that which is to us impossible Jer. 31.37 Thus saith the Lord If Heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the Earth be searched out beneath I will also cast off the Seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. O! how wonderful is this that when the Reception of Sinners might have been compared to things impossible their Rejection is compared with things impossible to us Hath God covered us with the Robe of Righteousness Isa 61.10 This should be a garment of Praise when we put it on we should break out into the sweetest Songs and highest Praises of God and Christ Meditate seriously on these following particulars 1. We live in the last days of the World and in the best days of the Gospel And this is the very season and time when this Scripture should be most eminently fulfilled that Jehovah should be called our Righteousness The excellency of Christ's Obedience and the efficacy of his Sacrifice is now signally manifested This Name of the Messiah is now most eminently known his Glorious Titles and style Blazon'd we are plainly told that Christ hath condemned Sin Rom. 8.3 and that God Justifies the ungodly because Christ Died for them Rom. 4.5 Rom. 5.6 Not only Sins are blotted out Isa 43.5 but Names are written in Heaven Luke 10.20 Things were more dark in the times of the Law though God promised remission of Sins yet there was a daily remembrance of Sin in the Sacrifices Offered up Heb. 10.3 The day of the Law was God's forbearing time Rom. 3.25 but the day of the Gospel was Christ ' bearing time 1 Pet. 2.24 Who himsel bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree And Christ did so bear them that he did bear them away He died for our Sins and he Rose again for our Justification Rom. 4. last he purged and put away Sin Heb. 13. Heb 9.26 Though God promised of Old to be the God of his people Gen. 17.7 yet the Vail stood up in the times of the Law as if Men should be shut out from Heaven from God and his Glorious presence but the Vail is now Rent and the way laid open to the Heavenly Sanctuary therefore we have more matter of and motives to Praise than the Church of God had of Old 2. That we are Justified freely by God's Grace Rom. 3 24. O! what a wonder is this that we that were called Transgressors from the Womb Isa 48.8 should call Jehovah our Righteousness to Eternity That we that have not wrought Righteousness yet should be made the Righteousness of God in Christ 2 Cor. 5.21 That we should be Justified without the Law Rom. 3.21 That our Sins that are our own should not be imputed but that the Righteousness that is not our own should be imputed We have peace with God not because we have committed no Trespasses but because they are not imputed 2 Cor. 5.19 There is much in our Hearts and Lives that is Odious and Abominable before God only it is hid and covered Psal 32.1 2. We have contracted a vast debt but it is remitted Psal 103. c. 1. v. 2 We have committed Heinous Crimes but they are not charged on us There is that dwelling in us and done by us that exceedingly displeases God's eye and provokes his anger but this is not remembred against us or put to our account The Law imputes nothing to us but what is our own is inherent in us or done by us but here is the Righteousness of another given and therefore imputed to us it doth not grow in us or spring out of us but is rained on us As God commended his Goodness to Israel that he brought them into Canaan to possess Houses they never built Vineyards they never planted Wells they never digged Dout. 6.11.12 So God commends his Grace to us that he gives us a Righteousness that we never wrought our selves The Gentiles that did not follow after Righteousness yet attained to Righteousness by Faith Rom. 9.30 O what astonishing Grace is this That we that have not run the race of Obedience should yet win and attain the prize of Righteousness Though Abraham was an Idolater Josh 24.2 yet he is styled Righteousness in the abstract by reason of his Justification who hath called Righteousness so it is in the Hebrew from the East Isa 41.2 3. That yet it should cost Christ so dear to be The Lord our Righteousness How greately did the Soul of Christ Travel Isa 53.11 that our pardon and peace might be born As he was God he suffered much in our commission of Sin he was greived wearied vexed pressed under our Iniquities as a Cart is pressed under the sheaves Amos 2.13 and that after this he should suffer so much more for the Expiation of them He was wounded pierced bruised Isa 53.10 O how wonderful is this that Christ so freely and without our sollicitation did so readily undertake to be a Surety Psal 40.6 7 8. Lo I come I delight to do thy will O my God! yet this was the will of God that the Body Heb. 10.10 yea the Soul of Christ should be Offered up Isa 53.10 God himself seems to speak of this undertaking of Jesus Christ with Admiration Jer. 30.21 Who is this that ingageth his Heart to approach to me It was no small matter to approach to God as Priest and to be a Sacrifice to draw near to God that was a Jealous God and Furious as it is expressed Nahum 1.2 To approach to God sitting on a Fiery Throne holding of a Flaming Sword Cloathed with the Garments of Vengeance If Christ's Love had not been Fervent and his purposes fixed he would never have engaged his Heart to draw near to a God so terrible and to undertake so hard a service to make Reconciliation with an angry and to make restitution to a wronged God O how amazing is this Fruit of Christ's undertaking that we may draw nigh to God that is a consuming Fire and yet not to be hurt but be refined by him This was a great Miracle that Daniel's three Companions walked in the midst of the Fiery Furnace and yet had
Hos 11.9 it is an Allusion to the Angels entring into Sodom to find out matter of Accusation against the Sodomites Gen. 19.3.5.18 But as God blots out Sin for the present so he seeks not out occasions for the future but when God blots out our Transgressions only our Good Deeds are Remembred and shewed Mal. 3.16 17. A Book of Remembrance was Written for Good Thoughts Words Actions when Sins are expunged and forgotten for ever Our sins are removed far from us as far as the East is from the West Psal 103.12 but our Good Works do follow us to testifie our Sincerity and to obtain a Reward Revel 14.13 God will never remember our Iniquities Jer. 31.34 but he will never forget his People Isa 49.14 15. nor forget the least of their Services If it be but a Cup of cold Water given to a Disciple of Christ it shall not be forgotten but Rewarded Matth. 10. last the greatest Sins are forgotten and not Revenged on us the least Service is Remembred and Rewarded in us John 5.29 They that have done good shall come forth to a Resurrection of Life Tho' they did many evil things yet they shall be blotted out and covered and they shall be pardoned as if they had only done good and nothing but good God is Righteous to forgive us our Sins 1 John 1.9 But God is not unrighteous to forget our Labour and Service of Love Heb. 6.10 6. What Praise doth this deserve that our Justification is so inseparably joined with Glorification Rom. 8.30 Whom he hath Justified them also he Glorified Justified persons cannot miscarry or Perish The Righteousness of Christ is called Everlasting Dan. 9.24 and this Everlasting Righteousness is the Foundation of an Everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 Because the Blood of Christ is still fresh therefore the Covenant of Grace and the way to the Heavenly Sanctuary is still new Heb. 6.8 Heb. 10.19 they that do wash their Robes white in the blood of the Lamb do enter into the Heavenly Sanctuary and are before the Throne Rev. 7.14.15 As Jesus Christ being first Justified Isa 50.8 1 Tim. 3.16 was soon after Glorified John 17.5 And now Father glorifie me with thy own self So sin being blotted out what remains to shut out Justified Persons from the Kingdom and Glory of God Not to see God is the greatest loss and penalty Where Sin is Forgiven How can such a Penalty remain 7. Bless God that Jesus Christ is Revealed to thee and bestowed on thee as the Lord thy Righteousness How many Thousands of Persons yea how many Nations do not hear of this Glorious Righteousness of Christ are utter strangers to this pretious Name of his and have no Interest in this Righteousness of Christ The Soldiers took Christ's Coat and four of them did cast Lots for it but only one of the four did obtain it John 19.23 24. So I may truly say that scarce one in four of those that are called Christians do get this Spiritual Garment of Christ's Righteousness to put on and wear It as a sweet Expression of Augustin's on Psal 31. Ego Sorte perveni ad tunicam Christi I by Lot came to the possession of Christ's Coat O happy Souls on whom the Lot of free Grace falls and that get and possess this Coat of Christ's Righteousness Ephes 1.11 in whom that is in Christ we have obtained an Inheritance In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is we obtained an Inheritance in Christ by Lot The Apostle doth humble himself and other Christians and Magnifie God he did not deserve a Portion in Christ but the Lot of Grace fell on him The Ephesians did not earn any thing but the Lot of Grace fell on them O Admire God Glorifie Christ that you should sit under the shadow of his Righteousless when others are exposed to the Schorching heat of the Wrath of God that your Iniquities should be covered when the Sins of others are naked and open before God that your Transgressions should be blotted out when all the Wickedness of others stands upon record against them till the Judgement of the great day That you as Noah and his Family should be born up and carried above the Waters when others like the Men of the Old World do sink into the deep and Bottomless Sea of the Wrath of God O what Mercy is it that God should Cloth thee with the Garment of Salvation and cover thee with the Robe of Righteousness Isa 61.10 when others have no Ragg to hide their Shame but will be abhorred by God be loathed by Angels and Saints to Eternity O what Grace is it that thou like Aaron art hid in a Cloud of Christ's Incense Levit. 16.13 when others Stink in God Nostils and shall be covered with a black storming Cloud of anger for ever O that Jesus Christ should die for you as a Lamb and then seek you out as a Shepherd to Cloath you with the Fleece of his Righteousness and to feed you with the Flesh of his Sacrifice when others Famish their Souls by the Neglect of Christ's Feast and Poyson their Souls by doting on and glutting themselves with Carnal dainties Sensual and Sinful delights O what Grace is this that Jesus Christ should as a Surety undertake for your debts and as a Sacrifice bear and bleed for our Sins That as a Fore-runner should take up possess and prepare a place for you in the highest Heavens that by your Iniquities deserved a place in the lowest Hell Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain to receive Blessing Honour Glory and Praise Revel 5.9 Debters are the Redeemed Reconciled and Justified to Render and ascribe it to his and Time and to Eternity THE Humble Sinners Supplication for Pardon Opened and Applied IN A SERMON PREACHED On the late FAST June 26 1696. By Samuel Comlyns M. A. a Minister of the Gospel in Marleborough London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercer's Chappel 1696. To the Right Honourable the Lord JAMES RVSSEL Son to the Duke of Bedford Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ My Lord EVery awakened humble Soul should with the Publican cry earnestly God be merciful to me a sinner Without a pardon God's Armoury cannot be shut or his Treasury opened God cannot take us for his Inheritance Exod. 34 9. Times of refreshment cannot come to us from the presence of the Lord if our sins are not blotted out Acts 3.19 If our Consciences are not purged from dead works with the clean water of Christ's Blood we cannot now walk in peace go out of the world with comfort enter into the heavenly Sanctuary with confidence How therefore should pardoning mercy endear God to us ond engage us to God We are naturally without strength to help our selves and are also ungodly and so provoke God to withhold and deny his help to us We had robbed God and an Arrest should have
Masses may be said and Supplications made for their Souls * Dr. Addison of the Customs of the Jews in Barbary The Jews in the begining of the New Year do run into Rivers and there think to wash away their Sins if they see a fish in the water they will shake themselves and as it were endeavour to unlade their sins on the Fish that he may swim away with them On the day of Atonement the Men break the neck of a Cock and the Women of a white Hen as if those Birds should bear and expiate their Sins Some of the Jews as Buxtorf relates in his Synagoga Judaica do offer this Cock to the Devil to Bribe him that he may not Accuse them or hinder their Prayers When a Jew is sick and dying the Rabbi changes his Name and then Prays for him that if God were offended with one that did bear the first Name that yet he would be pacified towards him that now passes under a New Name as if the change of a Sick Person 's Name did make him another Person Indeed the Sinner must change his Name that he may be Pardoned but it is Christ's New Name that must be put on him that he may be Justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Yet these things do not quiet the Minds of the Jews but when they come to die they Pray to God That their Death may be the Expiation of all their Sins But how foolish is this to put their own Death in the room and place of Christ's Death Yet this doth not allay their Fears they further own that all or many of them must suffer pains in another World for Eleven or Twelve Moneths and that they need the help of their Living Friends to Pray them out of this place and pains The Bannians in the East-Indies are Baptized in the River Ganges for the cleansing away of their Sins as Mr. Lord relates in his History some do bring the Dead Bodies of their Friends ten days Journey or more to wash them in the River Ganges that they may be purified from guilt others do stand in painful postures with one Leg up others do Vow they will never eat any thing but what they find on the High-way There is a Tree in the East-Indies which the Natives do call Adam's Tree on the Boughes of it they do hang up sharp Irons much like such as our Butchers do hang dead Beasts on the Boughs of the Tree being low they leap up with their Naked Bodies against these Iron Hooks and if they do take hold of their Flesh they hang on them till the weight of their Bodies doth tear them off from these Iron Hooks this they do as they pretend to Expiate Adam's Sin in eating of the Forbidden Fruit. These things Tavernier Relates in the History of his Travels in the East-Indies The Mahometans do Fast go on Pilgrimage to Mecha to Mahomet's Tomb they draw Water out of a Well there and in the Water of it they think they Wash away all their sins Many more of such Foolish Inventions and Practices I could Instance in at what painful or costly service or suffering will an Awakened Sinner stick to pacifie God's Wrath and to be rid of the Fear of Eternal Torments But there is no other Shadow for Scorched or Rest for Weary Souls but in Jehovah our Righteousness I shall now give some Directions how Persons may be driven to seek Righteousness in Christ and partake of it through him 1. We must consider that we have to do with God We must appear before his Tribunal and be weighed in his Ballance we must not as Hypocrites only look at the Eye Judgements and Praise of Men Luke 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before Men sought honour one of another John 5.44 but it is to God that you stand or fall he weigheth Spirits Prov. 16.2 He searcheth the heart and trieth the reins Jer. 17.10 Men may commend a fair Shew a Beautiful Tomb of out-side Religion when God seeth the Dead Souls and rotten hearts that is underneath Mat. 23.27 Acquaint your selves with the Holiness Purity and Justice of God God is a pure Light as he is Holy and a consuming Fire as he is a Just God He takes pleasure in Uprightness he hates Iniquity the Foolish shall not stand in his sight Evil shall not dwell with him Psal 5.45 An Hypocrite shall not come before him Job 13.16 He will not clear the Guilty Exod. 34.61.17 or Justifie the Wicked Prov. 17.15 He not only weighs the Actions 1 Sam. 23. but he also weighs the Spirits of Men Prov. 16.2 He hath Eyes that are exceeding pure Hab. 1.13 His eyes also are as a flame of Fire Revel 2.18 to espy the secret filth of Hypocrites God is Jealous of his Honour and Glory Nahum 1.2 He is a consuming fire to Impenitent Unbelieving Sinners We have to do with God are to present our selves in his sight and at his Tribunal The Righteous Judge of the World cannot be blinded will not be Bribed or Byassed Shall I count them pure with the wicked Ballances Micaah 6.11 Should I receive comfort in these corrupt Idolatrous Services Isa 57.6 God will not pervert Judgment accept or approve what Sinners would impose and obtrude upon him Will God allow a Faulty and Defective Righteousness Will he admit and impute it for a Full Perfect and Satisfactory Righteousness Will any other Righteousness but our Saviour Christ's please God's Eye weigh in his Ballance or be pleaded at his Tribunal Those that have not this Righteousness will be rejected as Reprobate Silver Jer. 6. last 2. Study the Purity Spirituality and Perfection of the Law of God The Law of the Lord is perfect Psal 19.7 The Word of God is very pure Psal 119.140 The Commandment is exceeding broad Psal 119.96 Though we may find out the utmost perfection that is in the Creature yet we cannot discover the depth and breadth of the Law of God We cannot say we have found out the utmost of Duty that the Law requires or the utmost of that Transgression and Iniquity that the Law forbids and condemns it obliges to the height of Love to God and forbids the least and lowest Lust to the prejudice of Men Matth. 22.37 39. Rom. 7.7 The first and last Commands do eminently discover the admirable purity and perfection of the Law of God Can you Answer Obey Stand before this perfect Law of God Should not the Terrible Trumpet of the Law Exod. 19.16 cause you to prize and long for to hear the sweet Trumpet of the Jubilee Levit. 25.9 The Law was not given to stop or detain us in it self but to drive us to Christ This was the Glory of the Law yet this Glory of it was Vailed and hidden from the Jews This was intimated by the Vail on Moses his Face The Jews did not see God's end in giving the Law 2 Cor. 3.13 God did not intend to Justifie us but to Accuse and Condemn us by