impossible for the Sinner to deny any particular but he will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-condemned Secondly As there will be no denying 2. No Extenuation so there will be no room for extenuation this was one of the Sinner's hiding places while in the Land of the Living Sinners have their buts Eccle. 5.6 Iâ— was an Errour per exteruationum It was but a mistakâ— now It was but thus and thus it was but a little one c. Great sins were but small sins and small sins were no sins Now the Sinner will have no such Sanctuary to fly unto the Account will now be inverted Those that were no sins before will be sins now small sins will be great sins and great sins will be infinite the last Judgment will give sin its just proportion that which the Law could never do though it were given on purpose the Fire of the day of Judgment will effectually do make sin appear exceeding sinful The Popish distinction of mortal and venial sin will vanish before that fire into smoak while Penitent reforming Sinners will find all their sins Venial in the blood of Christ secure impenitent Sinners will find every sin mortal and damning in its own merit and nature the Carnal Protestant will then find to his cost there is no such thing as a small sin because then he will be convinced there is no small God against whom sin is commited no small Law whereof sin is the violation no small Christ whom sin hath Crucified no small Heaven which sin hath forfeited no little Hell which sin hath merited and by its merit hath justly now plunged him into for ever Thirdly 3 No translating of sin there will be no translating of sin upon others as here below there was the Thief enticed me the Drunkard seduced me Gen. 3.13 the Harlot deceived me the Serpent beguiled me yea what bold Sinners are not afraid to speak will not then be heard amongst the Malefactors at Christ's Bar God tempted me Jam. 1.13 or God decreed it no these and all other palliations and colours wherewith men do wash the face of sin will melt before the fire of the day of Judgment God will say to the Sinner Jer. 2.17 Hast thou not procured these things to thy self yea Sinners shall then own their own guilt confess that their destruction is of themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—ut de seâ—â Num. vindict their heart shall cry out as Apollodore dreamt his heart cried to him in a Cauldron of boyling Lead O Apollodore I am the Cause of this Vengeance how have I hated Instruction and my heart despised Reproof and have not obeyed the voyce of my Teachers nor inclined mine Ear to them that instructed me Fourthly There will lye no appeal from this Tribunal 4. No appealing once there lay an appeal from Moses to Christ from the Law to the Gospel but proud Sinners scorned it or securely presumed they had made the appeal by a loose verbal Application of Jesus Christ whil'st yet they stuck in themselves and their own foolish presumptions their serving of God their good works and their good meanings and their good desires and why should not they be saved as well as others but now if they should appeal their appeal's with themselves will be cast out as Reprobate Silver this is now the supream and last Judicatory from hence is no appeal once doomed here the sentence is irreversible for ever Fifthly 5. No Pardon Neither is there any Pardon to be expected at this Judgment Seat Pardons were tendered in the Gospel upon gracious terms but ungracious Sinners would have none of them or would have them upon their own terms Sin and Pardon too their Pardons were nothing unless they might have dispensations also such as the Pope sells often times but Christ's Pardons sc Pardon Repentance Pardon of sin and forsaking of sin Pardon of sin and Hatred of sin Act. 5.31 Prov. 28.13 Jude 23. Heb. 12.14 Pardon and Holiness would not be accepted and now the time of Pardons is out the day of Grace is expired no cries nor entreaties will prevail with the Judg no though the Sinner would fall upon his knees and weep as many Seas of Tears as once the Ministers wept Tears of Compassion over them or as Christ himself shed drops of blood upon the Cross Christ was once upon his knees in the Person of his Ministers beseâ—ching them to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Though the Sinner was first in the Transgression yet God was first in the Reconciliation and followed the Sinner as it were on his knees intreating him to accept of Mercy as if God had stood in as much need of the Sinner as the Sinner did of Mercy but nothing would prevail a deaf ear was still turned to Christ's importunity and now Repentance is hid from the eyes of the Judg as once Repentance was hid from the eyes of the Sinner the things of their peace are everlastingly hid because they knew them not in that the day of their Vision As Sinners obdurated their heart against Christ's voyce so Christ will harden his heart against the Sinner's cry Prov. 1.24 Sixthly There shall be no mitigation of the punishment not a farthing abated of the whole debt 6. No mitigation Math. 5.26 there was once Mercy without Judgment before the Sinner now there shall be Judgment without Mercy now Sinners shall know that God is not mocked that the Lamb of God is also the Lyon of the Tribe of Juda His voyce was once Fury is not in me Isa 27.4 now the voyce will be Meckness is not in me mercy is not in me now must the Sinner expect nothing but the utmost severity of divine justice who once despised the yearnings of Christ's bowels the lowest condescentions of divine Grace the Sinner in his day knew no moderation in sin the Judg now in his day will know no mitigation of Judgment there will be a Sea of wrath without a drop of Mercy Seventhly Not a word of any good that ever the wicked did 7. No mention of any good that ever Sinners did shall now be mentioned to their honour or advantage as none of the sins which ever the Saints committed were mentioned to their shame in their Process so none of the good that ungodly Sinners have done shall be once named unless it be by way of aggravation of their sins for indeed they mannaged the good they did at such a rate Splendida peccata Aug. as even their duties differed not from their sin As under the Law the Sacrifice of the Wicked was abomination to the Lord killing Oxen but Murder Prov. 15.8 Isa 66.3 Sacrificing Lambs but cutting off Dogs necks Oblations as Swines blood Incense as Idolatry so under the Gospel their Prayers were but so many takings of God's Name in vain and hearing the Word mocking of God Fasting but holding
12. Ch. 5.8 Their patient bearing of the Cross Their keeping of the word of God in the precepts of it and keeping close to it in the Truth of it Their superlative Love to Christ Math. 10.37 Their Cordial Love to the Saints 1 Jo. 3.14 Their Contempt of the World 1 Jo. 2.15 Their Love of Christs appearance 2 Tim. 4.8 In a word Their conformity to Christ their Head Rom. 8.29 These and the like Divine Vertues although not seldome more visible to a judicious stander by than to themselves and not to be weighed but with some graines of allowance in the ballance of the Sanctuary these I say may administer abundant matter of hope and rejoycing to surviving Friends that those Relations which are fallen asleep were a people whom God hath set apart for himself pretious in his sight honourable and beloved of him a people formed for himself to shew forth his praise Col s 1.13 and made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Yea even in them whose Sun goes down in the morning of their Youth A teachable Spirit Math. 13.16 Isa 28.9 71 Psal 5. Jo. 16.8 1 John 2.13 John 17.3 Pious Inclinations Sense of a lost Estate by Nature A Competent knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ in his Offices A real sense of the need and use of Christ 1 Pet. 2.7 2 Tim. 3.15 Ps 119.13 An early acquaintance with the Scriptures A good understanding of the Word Preached not without some savour of it Respects to Gods Sabbaths And in a word 1 Kings 14.13 Any good thing toward the Lord God of Israel These early Impressions I say where ever they are found though according to different ages and capacities more or less legible in them are so many hopeful Indiciums that God hath been at work upon their hearts betimes and that he doth not untimely take them away in judgment but are polished Jewels which he hath of special grace laid up and secured from the violence and prophanation of a reprobate world Nay once more Those very Babes and Sucklings whom God is pleased to remove from us very early snatched from their Mothers Breasts yea possibly who pass swiftly from the Womb of their Natural Mother unto the belly of the Earth their Original Mother even these I say they being A Covenant seed Appendices of their believing Parents Children of promise Act. 2.39 Consecrated unto God by their Baptisme or by the Tears and Prayers of their holy Parents in the want of it having a right to the mercies 1 Cor. 7.14 Rom. 9.11 Mar. 10.4 Luk. 1.44 Gal. 1.15 Renatiante quam nati Aug. priviledges of the Covenant as well as to Baptisme Among whom is dispersed God the Father's Election God the Son's purchase God the Holy Ghost's Influence and Operation Even these are not to be looked upon as a lost Generation but may in the warrantable judgment of Scripture Charity be hopefully reputed for an Holy Seed Gods adopted Children owned by Christ and in him heires co-heires of the Kingdome of Heaven by special prerogative advanced to their Inheritance as it were before their time Upon this Foundation stands our hope concerning our Godly Relations which are fallen asleep of what age or state soever we are not to mourn for them even as others which have no hope Let them mourn excessively who know not the Scriptures nor the power of God in raising the Dead who bury their Relations and their hopes together in one Grave but you that upon these Scripture evidences have good hope through grace concerning your deceased Friends that while you are mourning on Earth they are rejoycing in Heaven that whiles you are Cloathed with black they are Cloathed in white even in the long white Robes of Christs Righteousness while you are rooling your selves in the Dunghil they are sitting with Christ upon his Throne Do not I beseech you profane your Scriptural hope with an unscriptural mourning give not the world occasion to judge either your selves to live without Faith or your Relations to dye without hope but let your Christian moderation be known to all men that it may be a visible Testimony to all the world of God's grace in them and of your hopes of their glory with God Therefore comfort one another with this word also A third word of comfort followeth and that is A third word of Comfort Our gratious Relations are not alone in their Death The Captain of their Salvation did march before them through those black Regions of Death and the Grave Jesus died this is implied in the following words If we believe that Jesus died This is a third consolatory Argument and it carryeth in it strong consolation Our sweet Relations in dying run no other hazard than Abraham Isaac and Jacob did no other hazard than all the Patriarchs and Prophets and Apostles did in their generations they all died and were resolved into their first dust Yea what shall I say They run no other hazard than the Lord of all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles did Jesus died this is wonderful indeed the Lord of Life died The eternal Son of God was laid in the Grave If our Children die we know we begot them mortal The Son of God had no principle of mortality in him * i.e. No sin in him to deserve it nor disease to cause it and yet he died Be our Children never so precious to us they cannot be so pretious to us God forbid they should as the Lord Jesus was to His Father who testifies concerning him from Heaven with a loud voyce This is my well-beloved Son Math. 3.17 in whom my Soul is well pleased And yet God gave up this well beloved of his Soul to the death Jesus died And we indeed justly Death is but our wages wages as truly earned as ever was a penny by the poor hireling for his days labour both we and our Off-spring have forfeited our lives over and over again by continual reiterated Treasons against the supreme Majesty of Heaven and Earth yea the best blood which runs in our veins is Traytors blood by succession from our first Rebellious Parents for which God might justly have executed the sentence at first imposed even as soon as ever we draw our first breath Thou shalt dye the death Gen. 3. But He what evil had he done He was holy harmless undefiled Heb. 7.26 Isa 53.61.71 Heb. Ho hath made the iniquity of us all to meet in him separate from sinners He did no sin neither was there guile found in his mouth He fulfilled all Righteousness and yet Jesus dyed And why so Surely he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed we all like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid upon him the Iniquity
Principalities c. Such an High Priest became us An High Priest of an inferiour perfection would not have done our business for us And as such an High Priest became us so truly such a way of justifying believing Sinners became him namely it was becoming a person of such a transcendent worth and excellency to justifie his Redeemed in the most ample and glorious way c. by working out for them and then investing them with a Righteousness adaequate to the Law of God a Righteousness that should be every way commensurate to the miserable estate of fallen Man and to the holy design of the glorious God It was a becoming thing that the second Adam might restore as good a Righteousness as the first Adam lost that this should justifie as sully as the other did condemn Rom. 5. from verse 15. to the last This is the very designe of that famous Parallel instituted by the Apostle between the two Adams namely to signifie an equality not of number in the persons receiving but of efficacy in the persons deriving and communicating what was their own to either of their Seeds The first Adam to his natural Seed and the second Adam to his Spiritual Seed to the end that Men and Angels might take notice that Jesus Christ the second Adam was not less Powerful to save than the first Adam was to destroy To which purpose it is of great use to observe how exact the Apostle is in setting the specialties of either Adams Legacy one over against the other the wound and the cure the dammage and the reparation Observe the Parallel The first Adam Propagates his Offence Guilt Death vers 15. Condemnation Bondage Slavery Sin ver 19. The second Adam obtains Forgivness for many offences A gift of Righteousness 17. Life vers 18. Justification ibid. Reigning in Life Righteousness Every way the Salve is as Soveraign as the Wound was Mortal the Cure as Vital as the Sickness deadly yea the Apostle winds up with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the second Adams part and an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold Absolution for Condemnation Righteousness for Sin Reigning for Slavery Life for Death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eternal Life into the bargain Thus it became our High Priest to justifie his Redeemed The great Apostle cannot pass it by without special notice He is able to save to the uttermost such as come to God through him To the uttermost of what To the uttermost Obligation of the Law preceptive as well as penal to bring in perfect Righteousness as well as perfect Innocence To the uttermost demand of divine Justice perfect Conformity to divine Will as well as perfect Satisfaction to divine Justice Perfection as well as Pardon To the uttermost Indigency and necessity of the lost Creature Qualification as well as Absolution To the uttermost of our High Priest's perfection in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Oh for such an one to have saved a cheap way to drive the Purchase to as low a price as might be by pardoning their sin and making reparation to divine Justice to satisfie for the wrong which man had done to the Creator and his Law This only with Reverence may we speak it had not become so August a Redeemer as the Son of God was But to set him upon his Legs again to make him as good a man as he was in his Created perfection one way or other such as all the Attributes of God should acquiesce in to put him into a capacity of demanding Eternal life not by gift only but by merit through a Redeemer yet so still as it is the Redeemers merit not Mans not that Christ hath merited that we might merit as the Papists would vainly varnish that proud doctrine of merit no all was done by Him and is Ours only by Imputation Such an High-Priest became us And such a glorious way of saving Sinners became him who was made higher than the Heavens i. e. than all created perfections whatsoever Angels Cherubins or Seraphims or what ever Order else may be possibly conceived This is the Righteousness Non est metuendum ne nimis divites simus in Christo wherewith our Redeemer saveth us and we need not sear to wrap up our selves in this fine Linnen to put on these Robes we need not fear to be made too rich by Christ who when he was Rich became Poor that we through his Poverty might be made Rich. 2 Cor. 8 9. And this Righteousness indeed was made over to the Saints of God by Imputation at the very first moment of their Conversion In this they lived In this they died as Standard-Bearers wrapt up and buried in their Colours And in this they shall arise and appear at that glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who will then and thus be glorified in all them that believe to the Admiration of all the Elect Angels the extream horror of the Reprobate and the infinite joy and ravishment of the Saints who shall then sing Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my Soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath Clouthed me with the Garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels Oh how glorious will Christ be in his Saints when they shall all wear one and the same sparkling Livery with Christ and this shall be his Name Jehovah Tzed-kenu Jer. 23.6 The Lord our Righteousness Thus I have done with the Second End I should now immediately come unto the Third save that before we wholly dismiss this point we cannot but take a little notice of the insolency of the Papists in Reproaching and Blaspheming this blessed doctrine of Justification by imputed Righteousness at which though they scoff and laugh at with so much scorn and derision that the Earth is not able to bear their words calling it Spectrum cerebri Lutherani Staplet Putativa imaginaria justitia Bellarm. Amentissima insania Andrad Yet it seems to stand firm and unshaken upon these impregnable Arguments 1. That way whereby the guilt of the first Adam is made ours that way the Righteousness of the second Adam is made ours also Rom. 5.12 cum 15. 2. That way whereby the Redeemer is made a Sinner that way the Redeemed are made Righteous 2 Cor. 5. Vlt. 3. That way wherein Abraham was justified are all Believers justified also Rom. 4. The Father and the Children have all the same Righteousness and it is Communicated to them the same way Vt sup 4. The fulfilling of the Law communicatur eo modo quo communicari potest id quod transit nimirùm per Imputationem as Bellarm. himself confesseth in point of satisfaction 5. The Scripture is clear and express for those two branches as of absolute necessity to Justification scil Pardon Righteousness distinct from