immaterial doth not depend upon the body in its working the rich and rare endowments and the noble operations of the soul speak out the excellency of the soul The soul saith one hath Aristotle a nature distinct from the body it moves and operates of it self though the body be dead and hath no dependence upon or coexistence with the body The soul hath an intrinsecal principle of life and motion though it be separate from the body And doth not the immortality of the soul speak out the excellency of the soul against that dangerous notion of the souls mortality Consult the Scriptures in the margin and seriously and Luke 23. 43. 1 Thess 4. ult Phil. 1. 23. Acts 7. 59. frequently think of this one argument among a multitude of arguments that might be produced to prove the immortality of the soul That which is not capable of killing is not capable of dying but the soul is not capable of killing ergo Our Lord Jesus proves the minor proposition that it is not capable of killing Fear not Luke 12. 4. them them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do Therefore the soul not being capable of killing is not in a possibility of dying the essence of the soul is Metaphysical it hath a beginning but no end it is Eternal à parte post it runs parallel with Eternity the soul doth not wax old it lives for ever which we cannot affirm of any sublunary created glory To conclude this first word of counsel what Job saith of wisdom I may fitly apply to the soul Man knows not the price thereof Job 28. 13 16 17. it cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx or the Saphir the Gold and Chrystal cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of sine Gold O my Friends it is the greatest wisdom policy equity and Justice to provide for your precious souls to secure your precious souls for they are Jewels of more worth than ten thousand worlds all the honours riches greatness and glory of this world are but chips toyes and pibbles to these glorious pearls But The second word of counsel is this as you would be safe here and saved in the great day of the Lord as Actâ— 2. 20. â—â— 22. 21. ◠〈…〉 poth 1. 15. Joâ— 13. 15. 2 Cor. 2. 11. you would be happy here and blessed hereafter take up in nothing below a gracious acquaintance with Christ a choice acceptation of Christ a holy relyance upon Christ a full resignation of your selves to Christ and a real and glorious union with Christ If you do you are lost and undone in both worlds First Some take up in a name to live when they are dead dead in trespasses and sins dead God-wards and Revel 3 1. Ephes 2. 1. dead Christ-wards and dead Heaven-wards and dead holyness-wards The Sadducees derive their name from Zeduchim or Zadducaeus a just man But the worst Men saith the Historian got the best names The Alcoran of the Turks hath its name from brightness Al in the Arabick being as much as Kazan in the Hebrew to shine or cast forth in brightness when it is full of darkness and fraught with falshoods It will be but a poor comfort to any for the world to commend them as gracious if God condemn them as graceless for the world to commend them as pious if God condemn them as impious for the world to commend them as sincere if God condemn them as hypocrites But Secondly Some take up in a form Godliness when 2 Timoth. 3. 5. they are strangers to the power when they deny yea when they oppose and persecute the power such Monsters this Age has abounded with but their seeming Acts 13. 45 50 goodness is but a Religious cheat Thirdly There are some that take up in their Religious Matth. 9. 22. Luke 18. 12. Cap. 13. 26. Matth. 6. cap. 23. Luke 36. 15. Ezeck 33. 31 32. duties and services in their praying fasting prophesying hearing receiving they make a God a Christ a Saviour of their own duties services this was the undoing and damning sin of the Scribes and Pharisees and is the undoing and damning sin of many thousands in our dayes Fourthly There are many that take up in their common gifts and parts in a gift of knowledge and in a gift Math. â— 22. Rom. 2. 17. 21. 1 Cor. 12. â—eb 6. 4â—5 of teaching and in a gift of knowledge and in a gift of teaching and in a gift of utterance and in a gift of memory and in a gift of prayer and this proves ruinous and destructive to them Fifthly There are many that take up in their riches Prov. 10. 15. Psalm 73. 19. Matth. 20. 26. Diviâ—â—bus i 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rich mens wealth proves an hinderance to their happiness Eccles 5. 13. James 5. 1 2. prosperity and worldly grandure and glory Prov. 18. 11. The rich mans wealth is his strong City it is hard to have wealth and not trust to it Mat. 19. 24. Wealth was never true to those that trusted it There is an utter uncertainty in riches 1 Timoth. 6. 17. A non entity Prov. 23. 5 6. An impotency to help in an evil day Zephan 1. 18. An impossibility to stretch to Eternity unless it be to destroy the owner for ever There is nothing more clear in Scripture and History than that riches prosperity and worldy glory hath been commonly their portion who never have had a God for their portion Luke 16. 25. Ricâ—es are called thiâ—k clay Hal. 2. 6. which will sooner break the back than lighten the heart It was an excellent saying of Lewis of Bavaria Emperour of Germany Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent Such goods are worth getting and owning as will not sink or wash away if a ship-wrack happen Solus sapiens dives Only the Wise man is the rich man saith the Philosopher Another saith Divitiae Austin corporales paupertatis plenae sunt That earthly riches are full of poverty they cannot enrich the soul for oftentimes under silken Apparel there is a thred-bare soul He that is rich in conscience sleeps more soundly than he that is richly clothed in purple No man is rich which cannot carry hence that which Ambros lib. 8. Ep. 10. he hath that which we must leave behind us is not ours but some others The shortest cut to riches is by their contempt it is Seneca great riches not to desire riches and he hath most that covets least If there were any happiness in riches the Gods would not want them saith the same Author When one was a commending the riches and wealth of Merchants I do not love that wealth said a poor Heathen which hangs upon ropes for if they break the ship miscarrieth and then where is the Merchants riches If I had an
is a foolish thing for any to think of keeping both Christ and their lusts too it is a vain thing for any to think of saving the life of his sins and the life of his soul too If sin escape your soul cannot escape if thou art not the death of thy sins they will be the death and ruin of thy soul Marriage is a knot or tye wherein persons are mutually limitted and bound each to other in a way of conjugal separation from all others and this in Scripture is Prov. 2. 17. called a Covenant So when any one marries Christ he doth therein discharge himself in affection and subjection from all that is contrary unto Christ and solemnly Covenants and binds himself to Christ alone he will have no Saviour and no Lord but Christ and to him will he cleave for ever Psal 63. 8. Acts 11. 23. But Secondly This marriage-union with Christ doth include John 1. 12. Acts 5. 31. Coloss 2. 6. Weigh well these Scriptures Psalm 1â—2 3. Psalm 5. 5. Hosea 2. 7. and take in a hearty willingness to take to receive the Lord Jesus Christ for your Saviour and Soveraign Are you willing to consent to the match 't is not enough that Christ is willing to enter into a marriage-union with us but we must be willing also to enter Many can chuse Christ as a Refuge to hide them from danger and as a Friend to help them in their need who yet refuse him as a Husband into a marriage-union with him God will never force a Christ nor force salvation upon us whether we will or no Many approve of Christ and cry up Christ who yet are not willing to give their consent that he and he alone shall be their Prince and Saviour though knowledge of persons be necessary and fit yet it is not sufficient to marriage without consent for marriage ought to be a voluntary transaction of persons in marriage we do in a sort give away our selves and elect and make choice for our selves and therefore consent is a necessary concurrence to marriage Now this consent is nothing else but a free and plain act of the will accepting of Jesus Christ before all others to be its Head and Lord and in the souls choice of him to be its Saviour and Soveraign Then a man is married to Christ when he doth freely and absolutely and presently receive the Lord Jesus not I would have Christ if it did not prejudice my worldly estate ease friends relations c. or hereafter I will accept of him when I come to dye and be in distress but now when salvation is offered now while Christ tenders himself I now yield up my heart and life unto him But Thirdly This marriage union with Christ includes and takes in an universal and perpetual consent for all time and in all states and conditions There is you know a great difference between a wife and a strumpet a wife takes her husband upon all terms to have and to hold for better and for worse for richer and for poorer in sickness and in health whereas a strumpet is only for hire and lust when the purse is emptied or the body wasted and strength consumed the harlots love is at an end so here That acceptance and consent which tyes the marriage knot between Christ and the soul must be an unlimited and indefinite acceptance and consentâ— when we take the Lord Jesus Christ wholly and entirely without any secret reservations or exceptions That soul that will have Christ must have all Christ or no Christ For Christ is not divided That soul must entertain 1 Cor. 1. 13. Rev. 14. 4. Psal 66. 12. him to all purposes and intents he must follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth though it should be through fire and water over mountans and hills he must take him with his cup of affliction as well as his cup of consolation with his shameful cross as well as his glorious Heb. 2. 3. crown with his great sufferings as well as his great salvation with his grace as well as his mercy with his spirit to lead and govern them as well as his blood to redeem and justifie them to suffer for him as well as to 2 Tim. 2. 12. Acts 21. 13. Rom. 14. 7 8. reign with him to dye for him as well as to live to him Christianity like the wind Caecias doth ever draw clouds afflictions after it All that will live godly in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. 12. shall suffer persecution A man may have many faint wishes and cold desires after godliness yet escape persecution yea he may make some assays attempts as if he would be godly and yet escape persecution but when a man is The common cry of Persecutors hath been Christianes ad I câ—nâ—s within the first 300. years after Christ upon the matter all that made a profession of the Apostles Doctrine were cruelly murdered thorowly resolved to be Godly and sets himself in good earnest upon pursuing after holyness and living a life of Godlyness then he must expect to meet with afflictions and persecutions who ever escapes the Godly man shall not escape persecution in one kind or another in one degree or another He that is peremptorily resolved to live up to holy rules and to live out holy principles must prepare for sufferings All the Roses of holyness are surrounded with pricking Briars The History of the Ten Persecutions and that little Book of Martyrs the 11. of the Hebrews and Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments with many other Treatises that are extant do abundantly evidence that from age to age and from one generation to another they that have been born after the flesh have persecuted them that hath been born after the Gal. 4. 29. spirit and that the seed of the Serpent have been still a multiplying of troubles upon the seed of the Woman But a Believers future glory and pleasure will abundantly recompense him for his present pain and ignominy But such as will have Christ for their Saviour and Soveraign but still with some proviso or other viz. That they may keep such a beloved lust or enjoy such carnal pleasures and delights or raise such an estate for them and theirs or comply with the times and such and such great mens humours or that they may follow the Lamb only in Sun-shine weather c. these are still Satans bondslaves and such as Christ can take no pleasure nor delight to espouse himself unto But The third word of Advice and Counsel is this viz. Put off the old man and put on the new Consult the Scriptures Col. 3. 9 10. Eph. 4. 22 23 24. Gal. 6. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 2. in the margin You must be new Creatures or else it had been better you had been any Creatures than what you are 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a nâ—w Creature old things are past away behold all
lay them down for his sake and the Gospel's sake He that shall attempt to save his life by crossing his light by shifting off the truth or by forsaking of Christ shall lose it 'T is a gainful loss to suffer for the truth 't is a lossful gain by time-serving and base complying with the times the lusts the wills the humours of the men of this Age in whom the spirit of Cain and Fsau works so furiously to provide for our present safety security plenty peace and ease c. either by denying the truth or by betraying the truth or by exchanging the truth or by forsaking the truth Mat. 10. 39. He that findeth his life shall lose it This is a strange expression a riddle to the world a seeming contradiction such as natural reason can never reconcile He that 1 Tim. 1. 19 20 findeth his life that is redeemeth it with the forfeiture of his Faith with the shipwrack of his Conscience makes a loser's bargain he makeâ— more haste than good speed whilst in running from death as far as he can he runs to it as fast as he can See it in some great instances when Henry the fourth of France French History had conquered his enemies he turned Papist and gave this reason of it That he might settle himself in peace and safety Ravillak who slew him as he was riding abroad in his Coach to refresh himself confessed that the reason why he stabbed him was because he was of two Religions as thus by his sinful endeavours to save his life he lost it There was one Philbert Hamliâ— in Non pâ—test qui pati timet ejus esse qui pâ—ssusest Tertul. France having converted a Priest to the profession of the truth was together with the Priest apprehended and cast into prison at Burdeaux but after a while the Priest being terrified with the prison and fear of death renounced Christ and was set at liberty Whereupon Philbert said unto him O unhappy and more than miserable man is it possible that to save your life for a few days you should so deny the truth Know therefore though A Prediction you have avoided the Corporal fire yet your life shall not be prolonged for you shall die before me and you shall not have the honour to die for the cause of Christ but you shall be an example to Apostates And accordingly as he went out of the prison two Gentlemen that had a former quarrel with him met him and slew him And thus also he loâ—t his life by endeavouring sinfully to save it The Angrognian that yielded to the Papists Acts and Monuments Fol. 885. and complyed with them that they might sleep quietly in a whole skin were more sadly and cruelly lâ—ndled by the Papists than those that continued sâ—out couragious and resolute for the truth Under the fourth Persecution there were some Christians who for fear of torments and death denied their faith and sacrificed to Idols yet did not their bloody Persecutors spare them and iâ— was observed that being full of guilt they went to their deaths with dejected and ill-favoured countenances so that the very Gentiles took notice of it and reproached them as base Apostates and as such who were worthy to suffer as evil-doers 〈◊〉 that was Chaplain to Bishop Pâ—dlâ—y refusing to die in Christ's cause with his Master said Mass against his Conscience and soon after pined away with sorrow and grief A Smith in King â—dward's the Sixth's days called Richard Denton was a forward Acts and Monuments third Volume pag. 960. Professor of Religion and by his Christian instruction the happy instrument of the conversion of a young man to the Faith afterwards in the Reign of Queen Mary this young man was cast in prison for his Religion who remembring his old friend and spiritual father the Smith to whom he always carried a reverend respect for the good he had received by him sent to know whether he was imprisoned also and finding that he was not desired to speak with him and when he came he asked his advice whether he thought it best for him to remain in prison and whether he would encourage him to burn at a stake for his Religion To whom the Smith answered that his cause was good and that he might with comfort suffer for it but for my part said the Smith I cannot burn But shortly after he that could not burn for Religion by God's just Judgment was burned for his Apostacy for his shop and house being set on fire and he overbusie to save his Goods was burnt in the flames They that will not burn for Christ when he calls them to it shall burn whether they will or no. He that will not suffer for Christ shall be sure to suffer worse things from Christ than ever he could have suffered for Christ And therefore Doctor Taylor the Martyr hit the nail Ibid. 1382. when he said If I shrink from God's truth said he I am sure of another manner of death than Judge Hales had who being drawn for fear of death to do things against his light and Conscience did afterwards drown himself Cyprian in his Sermon De Lapsis makes mention of divers who forsaking the Profession of their Faith were given over by God to be possessed by evil spirits and so died fearfully and miserably making good that word that is more worth than a world Joh. 12. 25. He that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here used of excessive and preposterous love He that so loveth his life that out of a desire to save it he denieth me and my Gospel so this Greek word is used Mat. 10. 37. loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal A man that is sparing of his life when Christ calls for it doth take the ready way to lose it and he that doth hazard it for him at his call is sure to live eternally Christ approves of no followers who are not resolved on the loss of what is dearest to them yea even of life for his sake therefore doth he mention our life to be hated which is not to be understood absolutely as if it were a sin to love life as it is the gift of God or that they should be weary of it but comparatively that they should not love it more than Christ his Word his Worship his Ways He that resolves to save his temporal life upon any terms he takes the shortest cut to lose both temporal and eternal life also He that loveth his life shall lose it He that prefers the honour and service of Christ above his own life he takes the surest way to preserve both body and soul unto eternal life for he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal Though life be sweet and every creature makes much of it from the highest Angel to the lowest Worm yet wo wo to him that
is set upon saving of it when Christ calls upon him to lay it down for his sake or the Gospels sake No fool to him that thinks to avoid a less danger by running himself into a greater danger who thinks to save his body by losing his soul and to save his temporal life by losing eternal life There is no loser to him who by sinful attempts to save his life shall lose a better life than ever he can save But Fifthly Consider That of old there hath been a very great willingness readiness forwardness and resoluteness in the people of God chearfully to suffer for Christ his Truth his Gospel his Worship his Ways his Ordinances his interest his honour Consult the Scriptures in the margin and many others of the like import which all knowing Christians can turn to at Dan. 2. 16 17. Rom. 8. 36. Psal 44. Phil. 2. 17. Act. 20. â—2 23 24 cap. 21. 13 c. Dan. 6. 1 Pet. â— 16. Act. 5 41. Act. 7. 55 56. 2 Cor 1. 3 4. 5. Acts and Mâ—n Fol. 857. Medestus Lieâ—tenant to Julian the Emperour told him that when the Christians suffered they did but deride them and the torments said he with which Christians are tormented are more terrible to the tormentors than they are to the tormented pleasure To these I shall add a few examples amongst a multitude of those blessed souls who willingly readily chearfully resolutely hazarded all for Christ while they were on earth and are now a receiving their reward with him in heaven Oh how my heart leapeth for joy said Mr. Philpâ—t the Martyr that I am so near the apprehension of eternal life I with my fellows were carried to the Cole-house where we do rouse together in the straw as chearfully we thank God as others do in their beds of Downe Mr. Glover the Martyr wept for joy of his imprisonment And Mr. Bradford put off his cap and thanked the Lord when his Keeper's Wife brought him word that he was to be burnt the next day and Mr. Taylor fetched a pleasant delightful frisk when he was come near to the place where he was to suffer Mr. Rogers the first that was burnt in Queen Mary's days did sing in the flames Vincentius laughing at â—his tormentors said that death and tortures were to Christians socularia ludiera matters of sport and pastime and he joyed and gloried when he went upon hot burning Coals as if he had trod upon Roses Fire Sword Death Prison Famine are all pleasures they are all delightful to me saith Bazil and in his Oration for Barlaam that famous Martyr saith that he delighted in the close prison as in a pleasant green Meadow and he took pleasure in the several inventions of tortures as in several sweet flowers William Tim. Martyr in a letter to a friend of his a little before his death writeth thus Now I take my leave of you till we meet in heaven and hic you after I have tarried a great while for you and seeing you are so long in making ready I will tarry no longer for you you shall find me merrily singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath at my journey's end c. And when they kindled the fire at the feet of James Bainham me thinks said he you strew Roses before me when the Preâ—â—ct urged Basil to comply with the Emperour Socrat. Eccles Hist l. 4. c. 26. Gr. and threatned him with death if he denied he gave him thâ—s resolute and sâ—out answer Thou threatnest me with death saith he and I would that it would fall out so well on my side that I might lay down this carcase of mine in the Quarrel of Christ and in deâ—ence of the truth who is my Head and Captain And when the Preâ—â—ct presâ—ed him to remember himself and obey the Emperour he rejecting all told him what I am to day the same thou shalt find me to morrow When Chrysostom was greatly threatned by the cruel Empress and others he made this answer If they keep me poor I know Christ had not a house to put his head in If they silence me and put me out of the Synagogue so was that poor man that confessed Joh. 9. 22 24. Act. 5. 40. cap. 12. Eph. 6. 20. Rev. 1. Christ and the Apostles enjoyned not to speak in the name of Jesus If they cast me into prison so was Jeremy St. Peter and St Paul and many more If I am forced to flee my Countrey I have that beloved Jâ—hn and that Atlas-like Athanasius for Precedents of the like nature Or whatsoever else should be done unto me I have the holy Martyrs for my fellow-sufferers and I will never count my life dear unto me so I may finish my course with joy but I will by God's help be ever ready with all my heart to suffer any thing for the name of Jesus Christ and for the least jot of his truth Neither were they only a few choice persons who willingly readily cheerfully and resolutely endured Martyrdom in Christ's Cause but such multitudes year after year month after month Hier. id Helic â— week after week and day after day as that one of the Ancients testifieth That there was never a day in the year except the first of January whereunto the number of five hundred Martyrs at least might not be ascribed So many one after another in one Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 8. c. 9. day suffered as the Executioner blunted his sword and with the pains he took fainted That which many of them endured though to flesh and blood it seemed intolerable yet with much patience excellent chearfulness and divine courage they endured it They were not like bears halled to the stake but while Persecutors were sitting on their Judgment-seats and condemning some Christians others leaped in and professed themselves Christians and suffered the uttermost that could be inflicted with Euseb l. c. citat joyfulness and a kind of pleasantness singing Psalms as long as their breath lasted Bucer in an Epistle to Calvin tells him that there were some that would willingly redeem to the Commonwealth the ancient liberty of worshipping Christ with their very lives True Grace makes a Christian of a very heroick nature Holy Zeal will make a Christian very ready to endure any thing or to suffer any thing for Christ his Worship his Ways his Truth It is a high vanity for any man to think of getting to heaven without suffering in all the Ages of the world the Saints have found the way to happiness paved with troubles and we must not think of finding it strewed with Rose-buds When Paul and Silas were in prison their hearts were so full Act. 16. 25. Paul 〈◊〉 his chain whâ—â—h he did bear for the Gospel sake and was as proud of it as a woman of her Ornaments saith Chrysostom of joy that they could not hold but at midnight when others were sleeping they must fall a singing out the Praises of
that the many weaknesses that hang upon you and the decays of Nature that dayly do attend you seem to point out an approaching dissolution I shall at this time give you this one word of Counsel viz. That every day you would look upon Death in a Scripture-glass in a Scripture-dress or under a Scripture-notion That is First Look upon death as that which is best for a believer Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nâ—c Christus nec caelum patitur hyperbolen saith one here it is hâ—rd to hyperbolice a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better The Greek is very significant far far the better or far much better or much more better 't is a most transcendent expression Eccles 7. 1. Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth A Saint's dying day is the day-break of Eternal Righteousness In respect of pleasure peace safety company glory a Believer's dying day is his best day I have read of one Trophonius that when he had built and dedicated that stately Temple at Delphos he asked of Apollo for his recompence that thing which was best for man The Oracle wished him to go home and within three days he should have it and within that time he died It was an excellent saying of one of the Ancients That is not a death but life which joyns the dying man to Christ and that is not a life but death which separates a living man from Christ But Secondly Look upon Death as a remedy as a cure Death will perfectly cure you of all corporal and spiritual Vltimus morborum medicus mors diseases at once the crazy body and the defiled soul the aking head and the unbelieving heart Death will cure you of all your ails aches diseases and distempers At Stratford-bow in Queen Mary's days there was burnt Act. and Mon. Fol. 1733. a lame man and a blind man at one stake the lame man after he was chained casting away his crutch bad the blind man be of good comfort for death saith he will cure us both thee of thy blindness and me of my lameness And as Death will cure all your bodily diseases so it will cure all your soul distempers also Death is not Mors hominis but Mors peccati not the death of the man but the death of his sin Death will work such a cure as all your Duties Graces Experiences Ordinances Assurances could never do for it will at once free you fully perfectly and perpetually from all sin yea from all possibility of ever sinning more Sin was the Midwife that Peccâ—tum erat obstetrix mortis c. mors sepuâ—chrum pec aâ—i Ambrose de bono mortis c. 4 brought death into the World and death shall be the grave to bury sin and why then should a Christian be afraid to die or unwilling to die seeing Death gives him a Writ of ease from infirmities and weaknesses from all aches and pains griefs and gripings distempers and diseases both of body and soul When Sampson died the Philistines also died together with him so when a Saint dies his sins die with him Death came in by sin and sin goeth out by death as the worm kills the worm that bred it so death kills sin that bred it But Thirdly Look upon death as a rest a full rest a believer's dying day is his resting day It is a resting day Rev. 14. 13. Job 3. 13 to 17. 2 Thes 1. 7. Micah 2. 10. Jer. 50. 6. from sin sorrow afflictions temptations desertions dissentions vexations oppositions and persecutions This world was never made to be the Saints rest Arise for this is not your resting place they are like Noah's Dove they can rest no where but in the Ark and in the Grave In the grave saith Job the weary are at rest Upon this very ground some of the most refined Heathens have accounted Mortality to be a mercy for they brought their friends into the World with mournful Obsequies but carried them out of the world with all joyful sports and pastimes because then they conceived they were at rest and out of Gun-shot Death brings the Saints to a full-rest to a pleasant rest to a matchless rest to an eternal rest But Fourthly Look upon your dying day as a reaping day Now you shall reap the fruit of all the prayers 2 Cor. 9. 2. Gal. 6. 7 8 9. Isa 38. 3. Mat. 25. 31 to 41. that ever you have made and of all the tears that ever you have shed and of all the sighs and groans that ever you have fetched and of all the good words that ever you have spoke and of all the good works that ever you have done and of all the great things that ever you have suffered When Mortality shall put on Immortality Eccles 11. 1. 6. you shall then reap a plentiful Crop a glorious Crop as the fruit of that good seed that for a time hath seemed to be buried and lost As Christ hath a tender heart and a soft hand so he hath an Iron memory he punctually Mat. 10. 24 25. remembers all the sorrows and all the services and all the sufferings of his people to reward them and crown them Rev. 22. 12. But Fifthly Look upon your dying day as a gainful day there is no gain to that which comes in by death Phil 1. Eccles 7. 1. Phil. 1. 23. 21. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain A Christian gets more by death than he doth by life to be in Christ is very good but to be with Christ is best of all 'T was a mighty blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth but 't was the top of Blessings for Paul to be with Christ in heaven Seriously consider of a few things First That by death you shall gain incomparable Crowns 1. A Crown of Life Rev. 2. 10. Jam. 1. 12. 2. A Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. 3. An Incorruptible Crown 1 Cor. 9. 24 25. 4. A Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. Now there are no Crowns to these Crowns as I have fully discovered in my discourse on The Divine Presence to which I refer you But Secondly You shall gain a Glorious Kingdom Luk. 12. 32. It is your father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom But death is the young Prophet that anointeth them to it and giveth them actual possession of it They must put off their rags of Mortality that they may put on their robes of Glory Israel must first die in Egypt before he can be carried into Canaan There is no entring into Paradise but under the flaming sword of this Angel Death that standeth at the Gate Death is the dirty Lane through which the Saint passeth to a Kingdom to a great Kingdom to a glorious Kingdom Heb. 12. 28. Dan. 2 44. cap. â— 3. Rev. 19 7. to a quiet Kingdom to an
that is wrapped up in the Covenant is an everlasting joy and the righteousness that is wrapped up in the Covenant is an everlasting righteousness and the life that is â—râ—pped up in the Covenant is an everlasting cap. life John 3. 16. and all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory and salvation that is wrapped up in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—verlâ—sting the Covenant relation that is 〈◊〉 God and his people is everlasting and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant is everlasting viz. Jesus Christ yesterday and Heb. 13. 8. to day and the same for ever Though the Covenant in respect of our own personal entring into it is made with us now in time and hath a beginning yet for continuance it is everlasting and without end it shall remain for ever and ever But Secondly This Covenant of Grace under which the Saints stand is sometimes stiled a Covenant of life Mal. 2. 5. My Covenant was with him of life and peace life is restored and life is promised and life is setled by the Covenant There is no safe life no comfortable life no easie Omnis vita â—st prâ—pâ—â—d â—eâ—ationâ—m Philosophers say that a fly is more excellent than the heaâ—ens because the fly has life which the heavens have not life no happy life no honourable life no glorious life for any sinner that is not under the bond of this Covenant All mankind had been eternally lost and God had lost all the glory of his mercy for ever had he not of his own free grace and mercy made a Covenant of life with poor sinners A man in the Covenant of Grace hath three degrees of life The first in this life when Christ lives in him The second when his body returns to the earth and his soul to God that gave it The third at the end of the world when body and soul reunited shall enjoy heaven Thirdly This Covenant of Grace under which the Saints or faithful people of Christ stand is sometimes 〈◊〉 a holy Covenant Daniel describing the wickedness of Antiochus Epiphanes saith His heart shall be against the Daâ— 11. 2â— 30. holy Covenant He shall have indignation against the holy Covenant And have intelligence with them that forsake the holy Covenant So the Psalmist For he remembred his â—sal â—â—5 42 43. Heb. 〈◊〉 of his â—â—liness that is 〈◊〉 sacred and 〈◊〉 Covenant that â—e had â—ade with Abraham and â—is posterity holy promise and Abraham his servant Proâ—ise herâ— being put for Covenant by a Synechdoche Luk. 1. 72. To perfâ—rm the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant The parties interested in this Covenant are holy here you have a holy God and a holy people in Covenant together Holiness is one of the principal things that is promised in the Covenant the Covenant commands holiness and encourages â—â— holiness and works souls up to a higher degree of holiness and sences and arms gracious souls against all external and internal unholiness See my Treâ—tise of holiness Psal â—0 5. Heb. 3. 1. 1 Thes 5. 27. 2 Pâ—t 1. 21. 1 Pet. 3. 5. 1 Câ—r 3. 17. â— Pet. 2. 9 c. The Author of this Covenant is holy the Mediator of this Covenant is holy the great blessings contained in this Covenant are holy blessings and the people taken into this Covenant are sometimes stiled holy brethren holy men holy women An holy Temple an holy Priestood an holy Nation an holy People as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margent together When ever God brings a poor soul under the bond of the Covenant he makes him holy and he makes him love holiness and prize holiness and delight in holiness and Jâ—b 8. Psal 20. press and follow hard after holiness A holy God will not take an unholy person by the hand as Joh speaks neither will he allow of such to take his Covenant into their mouths as the Psalmist speaks Fourthly This Covenant of Grace under which the Saints stand is sometimes stiled a Covenant of peace Numb 25. 12. Behold I give unto him my covenant of peace Peace is the comprehension of all blessings and prosperity Mat. 2. 5. All sorts of peace viz. peace with God and peace with conscience and peace with the creatures flows from the Covenant of Grace There is 1. An external peace and that is with men 2. There is a supernatural peace and that is with God 3. There is an internal peace and that is with conscience 4. There is an eternal peace and that is in heaven Now all these sorts of peace flow in upon us through the Covenant of Grace The Hebrew word for peace comes from a root which denotes perfection the end of the upright man is perfection of happiness Hence the Rabbins say that the holy blessed God finds not any vessel that will contain enough of blessinâ—â— fâ—â— Israel but the vessel of peace Peace is a very comprehensive word it carries in the womb of it all outward blessings it was the common greeting of the Jews 〈◊〉 be unto you And thus David by his proxy salutes Nabâ—l Peace be to thee and thy house The Ancients were woâ—â— to paint Peace in the form of a woman with a hoâ—n of plenty in her hand The Covenant of Grace is that hand by which God gives out all sorts of peace unto us Isa 54. 10. Neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee The Covenant is here called the Covenant of peace because the Lord therein offers us all those things that may make us compleatly happy for under this word peace the Hebrew comprehend all happiness and felicity Ezek. 34. 25. And I will make with them a covenant of peace the Hebrew is I will cut with them a covenant of peace This expreâ—ion of cutting a Covenant is taken from the custom of the Jews in their making of Covenants The manner of this ceremony or solemnity Jeremy declares saying I will give Jeâ— 34. 18. the men that have transâ—ressed my Covenant which have not performed the words of the Covenant which they had struck before me when they cut the calf in twain and passed between the parts thereof Their manner was to kill Sacrifices to cut This Ceremony or Solemnity of coâ—enanting The Romans and other Nations used some Juâ—ge Tâ—e Heatâ—â—ns borrowed this custom 〈◊〉 the Jews But of this before these Sacrifices in twain to lay the two parts thus divided in the midst piece against piece exactly one over against another to answer each other Then the parties Covenanting passed betwixt the parts of the Sacrifices so slit in twain and laid answerably to one another The meaning of which ceremonies and solemnities is conceived to be this viz. as part answered to part so there was an harmonious correspondency and answerableness of their minds and hearts that struck Covenant And as part was severed from part so the Covenanters implyed if not
this Throne all the Great ones of the world must stand Popes Emperours Kings Princes Nobles Judges Prelates without their Mitres Crowns Sceptres Royal Robes Gold chains c. And before this Throne all other sorts and ranks of men must stand And he that sits upon this Throne is a great King and a great Rev. 1. 5. cap. 17. 14. Rev. 19. 16. All the thrones of the Kings of the earth with Solomon's Golden Throne are but petty Thrones to this Throne yea they are but footstools to this Throne and therefore upon this single ground it may well be called a great Throne God above all Gods he is Prince of the Kings of the earth who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Upon all which accounts this Throne may well be called a great Throne And 't is called A White Throne because of its Celestial Splendor and Majesty and to shew the uprightness and Glory of the Judge The white colour in Scripture is used to represent purity and glory here it signifies that Christ the Judge shall give most just and righteous Judgment free from all spot of partiality From whose Face the heaven and the earth fled away The Splendor and Majesty of the Judge is such as neither heaven or earth is able to behold or abide the same how then shall the wicked be able to stand before him Augustine understands it for the future renovation of heaven and earth and here he acknowledgeth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the heaven and the earth fled not before but after the Judgment to wit saith he The Judgment being finished then shall this heaven and earth cease to be when the Hysterosis is when a thing is before put down which should come after or contrariwise Aug. lib. 20. de C. D. c. 14. 1 â—â—t 3. 12. new heaven and earth shall begin for this world shall pass away by a change of things not by an utter destruction The heaven and the earth shall flee away that is this shape of heaven and earth shall pass away because they shall be changed from vanity through fire that so they may be transformed into a much better and more beautiful estate according to that which the Apostle Peter writeth The heaven shall pass away with a great noise and the elements melt with heat but we expect new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness How this passing away â—r perishing of heaven and earth shall come to pass there are divers opinions of learned men Some think that the substance or essence it self of the world shall wholly perish and be annihilated Others are of opinion that only the corruptible qualities thereof shall perish and be changed and the substance or essence remain There shall be a renovation of all things say most and that only the fashion of the world that is the outward form and corruptible qualities shall be destroyed and so the earth shall be found no more as it was but shall be made most beautiful and glorious being to be delivered into the glorious liberty as far as 't is capable of the sons Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22. of God being to be freed from corruption and bondage And with these I close The summ of the 21. verse is That the Creature shall not be always subject to vanity but shall have a manumission from bondage of the which deliverance three things are declared First who the Creature that is The World Secondly From what from Corruption which is a bondage Thirdly Into what estate into the glorious liberty of the sons of God Some here note the time of the deliverance of the Creature namely when the children of God shall be wholly set free for though they have here a freedom unto righteousneess from the bondage of sin yet they have not a freedom of glory which is from the bondage of misery But others take it for the state it self which shall be glorious not the same with the children of God but proportioned according to its kind with them for it is most suitable to the liberty of the faithful that as they are renewed so also should their habitation And as when a Noble man mourneth his servants are all clad in black so it is for the greater glory of man that the Creatures his servants should in their kind partake of his glory And whereas some say that it is deliverance enough for the creature if it cease to serve man and have an end of vanity by annihilation I affirm it is not enough because this 21. verse notes not only such deliverance but also a further estate which it shall have after such deliverance namely to communicate in some degree with the children of God in glory Certainly the Creatures in their kind and manner shall be made partakers of a far better estate than they had while the world endured because that God shall fully and wholly restore the world being fallen into corruption through the transgression and sin of Man-kind And this doth more plainly appear by the Apostle's opposing subsequent liberty against former bondage which that he might more enlarge he calleth it not simply freedom or liberty but liberty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any shall enquire what shall be the particular properties works and uses of all every creature after the last Judgment I answer 1. That as to these things the word is silent and 't is not safe to be wise above what is written 2. Here is place for that which Tertuâ—ian calls a learned Ignorance Glory as it is in the Greek Text meaning thereby according to the phrase and propriety of the Hebrew tongue glorious liberty or liberty that bringeth glory with it under which term of glory he compriseth the excellent estate that they shall be in after their delivery from their former baseness and servitude As for those words of the sons of God to which we must refer the glorious liberty before mentioned they must be understood by a certain proportion or similitude thus that as in that great day and not before God's children shall be graciously freed from all dangers and distresses of this life whatsoever either in body or soul and on the other side made perfect partakers of Eternal Blessedness so the Creatures then and not before shall be delivered from the vanity of man and their own corruption and restored to a far better estate than at present they enjoy which also may further appear by the words the Apostle useth setting glorious liberty deliverance and freedome against servile bondage and slavery Chrysostome reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the glorious liberty of the sons of God as if the end or final cause of their deliverance were pointed at namely that as God made the world for man and for man's sin subdued it to vanity So he would deliver it and restore it for men even to illustrate and enlarge the glory of God's children I could by variety of Arguments prove that
of Isa 63. 3. John 17. Luke 23. 34. Math. â—6 28. his Fathers wrath for souls he prayed for souls he payd for souls and he bled out his heart-blood for souls The soul is the breath of God the beauty of man the wonder of Angels and the envie of Devils 'T is of an Angelical 1 Pet. 5. 8. nature 't is a heavenly spark a celestial plant and of a Divine off-spring Again weigh well the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the incomparable price which Christ payed for the redemption of the soul what are the riches of the East or West Indies the spoil of the richest Nations rocks of 1 Pet. 1 18 19. Diamonds mountains of gold or the price of Cleopatra's draught to the price that Christ laid down for souls 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. 1 John 1. 4 12. Heb. 22. 23. The soul is a spiritual substance capable of the knowledge of God of union with God of communion with God and of an eternal fruition of God There is nothing can suit the soul below God nor nothing that can satisfie the soul without God nor nothing that can save the soul but God The soul is so choice so high and so noble a piece that it Divinely scorns all the world in point of acceptation justification satisfaction dilectation and salvation Christ made himself an offering for Heb. 9. 11 12 13 14. Cap. 10 10 14 Ga. 4 4 5 6. Heb. 2. 8. sin that souls might not be undone by sin The Lord dyed that slaves might live The Son dyed that servants might live The natural Son dyed that adopted sons might live The only begotten Son dyed that bastards might live Yea the Judge dyed that malefactors might live Ah Friends as there was never sorrow like Isa 53 3. Gal. 2. 20. Christs sorrow so there was never love like Christs love and of all his love none to that of soul-love to say much in a little room The spiritual enemies which daily war Eph 6. 11 12. 1 Pet. 2. 11. Heb. ult Rom. 1â— 17. 1 Cor. 11. 23. 27. against the soul the glorious Angels which hourly guard the soul and the precious ordinances which God hath appointed as means both to convert and nourish the soul The soul is capable of a Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. Of a Crown of glory 1 Pet. 5 4. Of a Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. Of an incorruptible Crown 1 Cor. 9. 25. The Crowns of earthly Princes stand as Queen Elisabeth is said to swin to her Crown through a Sea of sorrow a Sophisters cap on one side of the head Many may say of their Crowns as that King said of â—is O Crown more noble than happy In the time of Galienus the Emperour Anno Christi 260. there were thirty Competitors on foot for the Roman Crown and Throne who confounded and destroyed one another A Princely Crown is oftentimes the mark for envy and ambition to shoot at Henry the VI. was honoured with the Crowns of two Kingdoms France England the first was lost through the faction of his Nobles the other was twice plucked from his head Earthly Crowns have so many cares fears vexations and dangers that daily attend them that oftentimes they make the heads and hearts of Monarchs Prov. 27. 4. Doth the Crown endure to all generations Heb. To generation and generation ake which made Cyrus say You look upon my Crown and my purple robes but did you but know how they were lined with thorns you would not stoop to take them up But the Crowns that immortal souls are capable of are Crowns without crosses they are not attended with care of keeping or fear of losing there are no evil persons nor evil spirits that haunt those Crowns Darius that great Monarch fleeing from his enemies he threw away the Crown of gold from his head that he might run the faster but a sincere Christian 1 Pet. 1. 5. is in no danger of losing his Crown 2 Tim. 4. 8. His Crown is laid up in a safe hand in an omnipotent hand Now what do all these things speak out but the preciousness and excellency of the soul Once more the excellency of the case or cabinet viz. the body intimates a more than ordinary excellency of this Jewel the body is of all materials the most excellent how does David admire the rare texture and workmanship of his body I am wonderfully made I was curiously wrought in Psal 139. 13 15. the lowest parts of the earth When curious workmen have some choice piece in hand they perfect it in private and then bring it forth to the light for men to gaze at so here The greatest miracle in the World is Man in whose very body how much more in his soul are miracles enow betwixt head and feet to fill a volume One complains that men much wonder at the high Austin The Stoick thought it was better to be a fool in the form of a man than wise in the shape of a beast mountains of the Earth the huge waves of the Sea the deep falls of Rivers the vastness of the Ocean and at the motions of the Stars c. but wonder not at all at their wonderful selves Galen a prophane Physician and a great Atheist writing of the excellent parts of mans body he could not chuse but sing an Hymn to that God whosoever he were that was the Author of so excellent and admirable a piece of work he could not but cry out Now I adore the God of Nature Now if the Cabinet be so curiously wrought what is the Jewel that is contained in it O how richly and gloriously is the soul embroydered How Divinely inlaid and enamel'd is that Princes impress their images or effigies upon the choicest mettals viz. gold and silver God hath engraven his own Image with his own hand upon Gen. 1. 26. Damaâ—cen Angels and Men. The soul is the glory of the Creation a beam of God a spark of celestial brightness a vessel of honour a bird of Paradise a habitation for God The soul is spiritual in its essence God breathed it in God hath invested it with many noble endowments he hath made it a mirrour of beauty and printed upon it a Gen. 2. 7. Heb. 12 9. Eccles 12. 7. Zach. 12. 1. surpassing excellency The soul is spiritual in its object it contemplaces God and Heaven God is the orb and center where the soul doth fix God is the Terminus ad quem the soul moves to him as to his rest Return to thy rest O my soul this Dove can find no rest but in this heavenly Ark nothing can fill the soul but God nothing can quiet the soul but God nothing can satisfie the soul but God nothing can secure the soul but God nothing can save the soul but God The soul being spiritual God only can be the adequate object of it The soul is spiritual in its operations it being
Psalm 39. 1 c. a holy watchfulness over your own thoughts hearts words and wayes You know that in infectious times men and women carry their several preservatives about them that they may be kept from the infection of the times Never were there more infectious times than now O the snares the baits the infections that attend us at all times in all places in all companies in all employments and in all enjoyments so that if we do not carry our soul-preservatives about us we shall be in eminent danger of being infected with the pride ill customes and vanities of the times wherein we lâ—ve But The ninth word of advice and counsel is this Live not at uncertainties as to your spiritual and eternal estates See my Box of precious Ointment in that Glass you may read the state of your souls there are none so miserable as those that are strangers to the state of their own souls It is good for a man to know the state of his Flock the state of his Family the state of the Nation the state of his Body but above all to know the state and condition of his own Soul How many thousands are there that can give a better account of their Lands their Lordships their Riches their Crops their Shops their Trades their Merchandize yea of their Hawkes their Hounds their Misses than they can of the esâ—ate of their own Souls O my Friends your souls are more worth than ten thousand Matth. 16. 26. worlds and therefore it must be the greatest prudence and the choicest policy in the world to secure their everlasting welfare and to know how things stands between God and your souls what you are worth for Eternity and how it is like to go with you in that other world whilst a Christian lives at uncertainties as to his spiritual and everlasting estate as whether he has grace or no grace or whether his grace be true or counterfeit whether he has an interest in Christ or not a work in power upon his soul or not or whether God loves him or loathes him whether he will bring him to Heaven or throw him to Hâ—ll How can any Christian who lives at so great an uncertainty delight in God rejoyce Job 27. 10. Phil. 4. 4. 2 Cor 2. 14. Phil. 1. 23. ever more triumph in Christ Jesus be ready to suffer and desirous to die All men love to be at a certainty in all their outward concernments and yet how many thousands are there that are at a marvellous uncertainty as to the present and future state of their precious and immortal souls But The tenth word of advice and counsel is this Set the highest Scripture examples and patterns before you of grace and holiness for your Imitation In the point of 1 Cor. 4. 16. Gen. 12. Cap. 21. Numb 12. 3. Joshua 1. Psalm 18. 23. Faith and Obedience set an Abraham before you in the point of meekness set a Moses before you in the point of courage set a Joshua before you in the point of uprightness set a David before you in the point of zeal set a Phinehas before you and in the point of patience set a Job before you make Christ your main pattern Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ And next to him James 5. 11 12. 1 Cor. 11. 1. set the patterns of the choicest Saints before you for your Imitation the nearer you come to those blessed copies Precepta decent exempla movâ—nt Precepts may instruct but examples do perswade that they have-set before you the more will be your joy and comfort and the more God will be honoured Christ exalted the Spirit pleased Religion adorned the mouths of Sinners stopped and the hearts of Saints rejoyced He that shooteth at the Sun though he shoot far short yet will shoot higher than he that aimeth at a shrub it is safest it is best to eye the highest and worthiest examples Examples are 1. More awakening than precepts 2. More convincing than precepts Heb. 11. 8. 3. More encouraging than precepts and that because in them we see that the exercise of Godliness though difficult yet is possible when we see men subject to like passions with our selve to be so and so mortified self-denying humble holy c. what should hinder but that it may be so with us also Such as begin to work with the needle look much on their sampler and pattern it is so in learning to write and indeed in learning to live also Observe the gracious conversations and carriages of the choicest Saints keep a fixed eye upon their wise prudent humble holy and heavenly deportment write after the fairest copy you can find labour to imitate those Christians that are most eminent in grace I shall conclude this head with that of the Heathen Optimum est majorum sequi vestigia si rectè praecesse Sences riâ—t It is best to tread in the steps of those who are gone in a safe and good way before us But The eleventh word of advice and counsel is this Be much in the most Spiritual exercises of Religion There are external excercises such as hearing praying singing Isa 1. 11 12 13 14. 1 Timoth. 4. 8. Matth. 6. receiving holy conference c. Now custom conviction education and a hundred other external considerations may lead persons to these external exercises But then there are the more spiritual exercises of Religion such as loving of God delighting in God prizing of Christ complyance with the motions counsels and dictates of the Spirit living in an exercise of grace triumphing in Christ Jesus setting our affections upon things above meditation self-examination self-judging c. Now the more you live in the exercise of these more spiritual duties of Religion the more you glorifie God the more you evidence the power of grace and the indwellings of the Spirit and the more you difference and distinguish your selves from Hypocrits and all unsound Professors and the better foundation you lay for a bright strong and growing assurance But The twelfth and last word of advice and counsel I shall give you is to make a wise a seasonable a sincere a daily and a through improvement of all the Talents that God has entrusted you with There is a Talent of time of power of riches of honour of greatness that some are more entrusted with than others are the improvement of these is your great wisdom and should be your daily works You know you are but Stewards 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. â— and that you must shortly give an account of your Steward-ship And O that you may make such a Luke 16. 1 2 3 4. faithful and full improvement of all the great Talents that God has intrusted you with that you may give up your account at last with joy and not with grief Some Princes have wished upon their beds that they had never reigned because they have not improved their
it received the Word with joy for a season but when the Sun of Persecution arose upon it it fell away Men that in times of Liberty and Prosperity embrace the Word will in times of Persecution distrust the Word reject the Word and turn their backs upon the Word if it be not rooted in their Understandings Judgments Wills Affections and Consciences Men may court the Word and complement the Word and applaud the Word and seemingly rejoyce in the Word but they will never suffer Persecution for the Word if it be only received into their heads and not fast rooted in their hearts The house built upon the Sands was as lovely as comely as goodly and Mat. 7. 26 27. as glorious a house to look upon as that which was built upon the Rock but when the Rain of Affliction descended and the Floods of Tribulation came and the Winds of Persecution blew and beat upon the house it fell and great was the fall of it No Professors will be able to stand it out in all Winds and Weathers but such as are built upon a Rock all others will sink shatter and fall when the Wind of Persecution blows upon them As sure as the Rain will fall the Floods flow and the Winds blow so sure will an unsound heart give out when tryals come no heart but a sound heart will hold out bravely when Suâ—ferings come no heart but a sincere heart will bear the brunt of Persecution Dan. 3. 17 18. The three Worthies Shadrach Meshâ—â—h and Abednego would rather burn than bow they would rather suffer than sin which was aâ— evident proof of their sincerity and ingenuity they would be Non-conformists though Court City and Countrey cryed up Conformity which was a sure argument of their integrity Hypocrites have heart enough for themselves but none for God If they see their Names Estates or Carnal Interest any way touched they are all on fire and ready to be burnt up with the flames of their own zeal but they can see the Name Truth and Interest of God assaulted and torn in pieces and never stir in their own Concerns they are as if they were all heart but in the cause of Hos 7. 11. God they are as if with Ephraim they had no heart at all O it s sad that men should have a heart for themselves and none for God that they should have courage in their own cause and none in his As the soul is the glory of the body so integrity is the glory of the soul A sincere Christian with Job will rather let Job 27. 5. all go than let his integrity go he will sooner let the blood bâ— pressed out of his veins and his soul out of his body than his integrity out of his soul O how bravely did the Primitive Christians Epist 97. p. 316. carry themselves as to this Matter Pliny writing to Trajan declares to him that such was their zeal and courage in the behalf of their God that nothing could stir them from it neither the Imperious checks of the Potent Emperours nor the soft language of the eloquent Orators could draw them from the Faith but they stedfastly owned it and constantly persevered in the defence of it But now base unsound hearts will exceedingly shuffle and shifâ— to shake off Persecution witness those false Teachers Gal. 6. 12. As many as desire to make a fair shew or as the Greek has it to set a good face on it in the flesh they constrain you to be circumcised only lest they should suffer Persecution for the Cross of Christ Mark at this time the Jews out of zeal to their Law did sorely persecute those that did either preach or practise any thing contrary to their Law Now these false teachers set a good face on 't and make a fair shew as if they were all for carnal Rites and Ceremonies and they pressed Circumcision upon the Galatians but not out of any true affection or zeal that they did bear to the Law but only to procure favour on the one hand and to avoid and escape the malice and Persecution of the Jews on the other hand They that were no Jews to avoid Persecution would comply with them that were they would seem to be very earnest for Judaism but not for Christianism that so they might escape the fury of the Jews Unsound hearts will say any thing and do any thing and be any thing to avoid Persecution and to ingratiate themselves with Persecutors The Samaritans so long as Joseph Hist lib. 13 the Jewish Religion flourished and was in honour caused a Temple to be built on Mount Garazin that therein they might not be inferiour to the Jews and they boasted themselves to be of the Progeny of Joseph and Worshippers of God with them But when they perceived that the Jews were cruelly afflicted and persecuted by Antiochus Epiphanes for worshipping of the true God and fearing lest they should be handled in the like manner they changed both their Coat and their Note affirming that they were not Israelites but Sidonians and that they had built their Temple not unto God but unto Jupiter Thus you see that times of Affliction and Persecution will distinguish the Precious from the Jer. 15. 19. Vile 't will difference the counterfeit Professor from the true Persecution is a Christian's Touch-stone 't is a Lapis Lydius that will try what mettal men are made of whether they be silver or Tin Gold or Dross Wheat or Chaff shadow or substance carnal or spiritual sincere or hypocritical Nothing speaks out more soundness and uprightness than keeping close to Christ his Worship Truth and Ways in a day of warm Persecution To stand close and fast to God and his Interest in fiery tryals argues much integrity within These thirteen Particulars are so great Truths written with the beams of the Sun that no man nor Devil can deny and therefore I shall make no Apology to the Persecutors of the day to execuse my writing of this General Epistle but shall beg hard of God that it may be so own'd and crown'd and blessed from on high that it may really and fully answer to all those holy and gracious aims and ends that the Author had in his eye and upon his heart when he writ it And thus much for this General Epistle Dear Lady and Sister in the Lord I Shall now address my self to you in a few lines and so conclude I know you have for many years been the Lord's Prisoner Great have been your Trials and many have been your Trials and long have been your Trials but to all these I have spoken at large in my Treatise called The mute Christian under the smarting Rod which you have in your hand which you have read and which God has greatly blessed to the support comfort quiet and refreshment of your soul under all your Trials and therefore I shall say no more as to those Particulars But knowing
unshaken Kingdom to a durable Kingdom to a lasting Kingdom yea to an everlasting Kingdom Death is a dark short way through which the Saints pass to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb. But Thirdly You shall gain a safe and honourable Convoy into that other world Luk. 16. 22. Oh in what pomp and triumph did Lazarus ride to heaven on the wings of Angels The Angels conduct the Saints at death through the Air the Devil's Region every gracious soul is carried into Christ's Presence by these heavenly Courtiers Oh what a sudden change does death make behold he that even now was scorned by men is all on a sudden carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom But Fourthly You shall gain a glorious welcome a joyful Rev. 4. 8 to 11. Luk. 15. 7 10. Heb. 12. 23. welcome a wonderful welcome into heaven By general consent of all Antiquity the holy Angels and blessed Trinity rejoyce at the sinner's Conversion but oh what inexpressible what transcendent joy is there when a Saint is landed upon the Shore of Eternity God and Christ Angels and Arch-angels all stand ready to welcome the Believer as soon as his feet are upon the threshold of Glory God the Father welcomes the Saints as his elect and chosen ones Jesus Christ welcomes them as his redeemed and purchased ones and the Holy Spirit welcomes them as his sanctified and renewed ones and the Blessed Angels welcome them as those they have Heb. 1. ult guarded and attended on When the Saints enter upon the Suburbs of Glory the glorious Angels welcome them with harps in their hands and ditties in their mouths But Fifthly You shall gain full freedom and liberty from all your enemies within and without viz. Sin Satan Luk. 1. 70 71 74 75. and the World 1. Death will free you from the indwelling power of sin In heaven there is no complaints Rom. 7. 23. as in hell there is nothing but wickedness so in heaven there is nothing but holiness 2. Death will free Gal. 5. 17. you from the power and prevalency of sin Here sin plays the Tyrant but in heaven there is no Tyranny but perfect felicity 3. Death will free you from all provocations temptations and suggestions to sin Now you shall be above all Satan's batteries Now God will make Rom. 16. 20. good the promise of treading Satan under your feet Some say Serpents will not live in Ireland The old Serpent Rev. 12. 8 9. cap. 21. ult is cast out and shall be for ever kept out of the new Jerusalem above 4. Death will free you from all the effects and consequents of sin viz. losses crosses sicknesses diseases disgraces sufferings c. when the cause is taken away the effect ceases when the fountain of sin is dried up the streams of afflictions of sufferings must be dryed up the fuel being taken away the fire will go out of it self Sin and sorrow were born together do live together and shall die together To open this fourth Particular a little more fully to you consider these four things First That death will free you from all reproach and ignominy on your names Now Elijah is accounted the 1 King 18. 17. Nâ—hem 6. 6. Psal 69. 12. Jer. 15. 10. Troubler of Israel Nehemiah a Rebel against his King and David the song of the Drunkards and Jeremiah a man of contention and Paul a pestilent fellow Heaven Act. 24. 10. wipes away all blots as well as all tears as no sins so no blots are to be found in that upper world The names of all the Saints in a state of Glory are written as I may say in Characters of Gold But Secondly Death will free you from all bodily infirmities and diseases we carry about in our bodies the matter of a thousand deaths and may die a thousand several Above all things let us every day think 〈◊〉 our last day 〈◊〉 〈…〉 naus ways each several hour As many senses as many members nay as many pores as there are in the body so many windows there are for death to enter in at death needs not spend all its arrows upon us a worm a gnat a fly a hair the stone of a raisin the kirnel of a grape the fall of a horse the stumbling of a foot the prick of a pin the pairing of a nail the cutting of a corn all these have been to others and any one of them may be to us the means of our death within the space of a few days nay of a few hours Here Job had his Botches and Job 2. 6 7. Isâ— 37 21. 〈◊〉 â—8 5. 〈◊〉 20. Maâ— 9. 20. Hezekiah had his Boil and David his Wounds and Lazarus his Sores and the poor Widow her Issue of Blood Now the Feaver burns up some and the Dropsie drowns others and the Vapours stifle others one dies of an Appoplexy in the head another of a Struma in the neck a third of a Squinancy in the throat and a fourth of a Cough and Consumption of the lungs others of Obstructions Inflamations Plurisies Gouts c. We are commonly full of complaints one complains of this distemper and another of that one of this disease and another of that but death will cure us of all diseases and distempers at once But Thirdly Death will free you from all your sorrows whether inward or outward whether for your own sins Psal 38. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Psal 119 136. Nehem. 1. 3 4. or the sins of others whether for your own sufferings or the sufferings of others Now it may be one shall seldom find you but with tears in your eyes or sorrow in your heart O but now death will be the funeral of all your sorrows death will wipe all tears from your eyes and sorrow and mourning shall flee away Isa 51. 11. But Fourthly Death will free you from all those troubles calamities miseries mischiefs and desolations that are Isa 57 1. Mâ—â—h 7. 1 to 7. a coming upon the earth or upon this place or that A year after Methuselah's death the Flood came and carried away the old world Augustine died a little before the sacking of Hippo Luther observes that all the Apostles died before the destruction of Jerusalem And Luther himself died a little before the Wars brake forth in Germany Dear Lady death shall do that for you which all your Physicians could never do for you which all your Relations could never do for you which all Ordinances could never do for you nor which all your faithful Ministers could never do for you it shall both instantly and perfectly cure you of all sorts of Maladies and weaknesses both inward and outward or that respects either your body or your soul or both Oh my dear friend is it not better to die and be rid of all sin to die and be rid of all temptations and desertions to die and be rid of all sorts of miseries than to live and still carry about with
exalted above all creatures in heaven and earth as is most evident throughout the Scriptures Thirdly He tells you of the price which Jesus Christ should pay for the Redemption of his people agreed upon by paction viz. the humbling of himself to the death of the Cross as you may see in vers 14. As many were astonied at thee his visaâ—â— was so marred more than any mans and his form more than the sons of men This is the speech of the father to Jesus Christ his visage was so marred that the Jews were ashamed to own him for their King and Messiah The astonishment here spoken of is such an astonishment as ariseth from the contemplation of some strange uncouth and ruful spectacle of desolation deformity and misery And no wonder if many were astonished at the sight of our Saviour's condition in regard of those base disgraceful and despightful usages that were offered and done to him in the time of his humiliation here on earth when his own followers were so amazed at the relation of them Mar. 10. 32 33 34 when they were foretold of them Oh sirs the words last cited are not so to be understood as if our blessed Saviour had in regard of his bodily person or presence been some strange deformed or mishapen creature but Isa 51. 3. in regard of his outward estate coming of mean and obscure parents living in a low despicable condition exposed to scorn and contempt and to much affliction through the whole course of his life and more especially yet in regard of what he was also in his personal appearance through the base and scornful usages that he sustained at the hands of his malicious and mischievous adversaries when they had gotten him into their power besides his watchings draggings to and fro from place to place buffettings scourgings carrying his cross and other base usages could not but much alter the state of his body and impair yea deface all the sightliness of it And yet all this he suffered to make good the compact and agreement that he had made with his father about the Redemption of his Elect. But The fifth Scripture is that 53. of Isaiah This Scripture The fifth proof among many others gives us very clear intimations of a Federal transaction between God the father and Jesus Christ in order to the recovery and everlasting happiness of poor sinners The glorious Gospel seems to be epitomised in this chapter the subject matter of it is the grievous sufferings and dolorous death of Christ and the happy and glorious issue thereof Of all the Prophets this Prophet Isaiah was the most Evangelical Prophet and Hierom calls him Isaiah the Evangelist of all the Prophecies of this Prophet that which you have in this chapter is the most Evangelical Prophecy In this chapter you have a most plain lively and full description In this chapter you have the compact and agreement between God the father and Jesus Christ plainly asserted and proved and representation of the humiliation death and passion of Jesus Christ which indeed is so exact and so consonant to what hath fallen our since that Isaiah seems here rather to pen an history than a Prophecy The matter contained in this chapter is so convictive from that clear light that goes along with it â— that several of the Jews in reading of this chapter have been converted as not being able to stand any longer out against the shining light and evidence of it Out of this chapter which is more worth than all the Gold of Ophir yea than ten thousand worlds Observe with me these eight things First Observe that God and Christ are sweetly agreed and infinitely pleased in the conversion of the Elect vers 10. He shall see his seed that is he shall see them called converted changed and sanctified he shall see his seed that is an innumerable company shall be converted to him by his word and spirit in all countreys Psal 110. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 23. and nations through the mighty workings of the spirit and the incorruptible seed of the word infinite numbers of poor souls should be brought in to Jesus Christ which Rev. 7. 9. Heb. 2. 10 13. he should see to his full content and infinite satisfaction He shall see his seed that is he shall see them encrease and multiply he shall see believers brought in to him from all corners and quarters and he shall see them greatly encrease and grow by the preaching of the everlasting Gospel especially after his ascention into heaven and a more glorious pouring forth of the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles and others Act. 2. 37 41. Act. 4. 1 2 3 4. Act. 8. No accountants on earth can count or reckon up Christ's spiritual seed and issue But Secondly observe with me that in the persons redeemed by Jesus Christ there was neither weight nor Exâ—k 16. 1 10. worth neither portion nor proportion neither inward or outward excellencies or beauties for which the punishment due to them should be transferred upon dear Jesus for if you look upon them in their sins in their guilt you shall find them despisers and rejecters of Christ vâ—rs 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Christ took upon him not our nature alone but the infirmities also of it and became liable to such sorrows and afflictions and pains and griefs as man's sinful nature is exposed and subject unto They Râ—m 8. 3. Heb. 4. 15. are called ours because they were procured to him by our sins and sustained by him for the discharge of our sins unto the guilt whereof out of love to us undertaken by him they were deservedly due Christ for our sakes hath taken all our spiritual maladies that is all our sins upon him to make satisfaction for them and as our surety to pay the debt that we had run into Christ in the quality of a pledg for his Elect hath given full satisfaction for all their sins bearing all the punishments due for them in torments and extreme griefs both of body and soul The reason why they so much disesteemed of Christ was because they made no other account but You know they traduced hiâ— as a notorious deceiver a drunkard a friend of publicans and sinners and one that wrought by the Deâ—il that all those afflictions that befel him were by God inflicted upon him for his own evil deserts They accounted him to be one out of grace and favour with God yea to be one pursued by him with all those evils for his sins when the Jews saw what grievous things Christ suffered they wickedly and impiously judged that he was thus handled by God in way of vengeance for his sins By all which you may see that in the persons redeemed by Christ there was nothing of worth or honour to be found for which the punishment due to them should
Redemption bringing in the father and the son as conferring and agreeing together about the terms of it and the first thing agreed on between them is the price and the price that God the father stands upon is blood and that not the blood of Bulls and Goats but the blood of his son which was the best the purest and the Hâ—b 10. 4. cap. 9 22. Jâ—h 10. 11 15 17. 18. Jâ—â— 1. 29. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. noblest blood that ever run in veins Now Christ to bring about the redemption of fallen man is willing to come up to the demands of his father and to lay down his blood The Scripture calls the blood of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precious blood Oh! the vertue in it the value of it through this Red Sea we must pass to heaven Sanguis Christi clavis coeli Christ's blood is heaven's key Isal 116. 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the blood of the Saints and truly precious in the sight of the Saints is the blood of Christ Vna guttula plus valet quam coelum terra Luther One little drop is more worth than heaven and earth Christ's blood is precious blood in regard of the dignity of his person it is the blood of God himself it is the blood Act. 20. 28. of that person who is very God as well as very man Christ's blood was noble blood and therefore precious he came of the race of Kings as touching his manhood but being withal the soh of God This renders his nobility Isa 19. 11. matchless and peerless It was Pharaoh's brag that he was the son of ancient Kings who can lay claim to this more than Christ who can challenge this honour before him he is the son of the ancientest King in the Dan. 7. 9 13 2â— world he was begot a King from all Eternity and the blood of good Kings is precious Thou art worth ten thousand 2 Sam. 18. 3. of us said David's subjects to him and therefore they would not suffer him to hazard himself in the battâ—l The nobleness of his person did set a high rate upon his blood and whom doth this argument more commend unto us than Christ And the blood of Christ is precious blood in regard of the vertues of it by this blood God and man are reconciled by this blood the chosâ—n of God are redeemed It was an excellent saying of Leo The effusion of Christ's blood is so rich and available that Leo de pâ—s sâ—rm 12. c. 4. if the whole multitude of captive sinners would believe in their Redeemer not one of them should be detained in the Tyrant's chains This precious blood justifiâ—s our Act. 13. 38 39. Râ—m 3. 24 25. 1 Jâ—h 1. 7. 1 Iâ—â—s 1. 10. persons in the sight of God it frees us from the guilt of sin and it frees us from the reign and dominion of sin and it frees us from the punishments that are due to sin it saves us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that wrath that is to come Now were not Christ's blood of infinite value and vertue it could never have produced such glorious effects the blood of Christ is precious beyond all account and yet our Lord Jesus did not think it too dear a price to pay down for his Saints God the father would be satisfied with no other price and therefore God the son comes up to his father's price that our Redemption might be sure But Secondly Observe that God rejects all ways of satisfaction by men Could men make as many prayers as there be stars in heaven and drops in the Sea and could they 1 Cor. 13. 3. weep as much blood as there is water in the Ocean and should they give all their goods to the poor and their bodies to be burnt as some have done yet all this would not satisfie for the least sin not for an idle word not for a vain thought Heb. 10. 5. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not that is thou wilt not accept of them for an expiation and satisfaction for sin as the Jews imagined The Apostle shews the impotency and insufficiency of legal sacrifices by God's rejecting of them the things here set down not to be regarded by God as sacrifices offerings burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin together with other legal ordinances comprised under them do evidently demonstrate that God regards none of those things in a way of satisfaction they are no current price they are no such pay that will be accepted of in the Court of heaven Remission of sin could never be obtained by sacrifices and offerings nor by prayers tears humblings meltings watchings fastings penances pilgrimages c. Remission of sins cost Christ dear though it cost us nothing Remission of sins drops down from God to us through Christ's wounds and swims to us in Christ's blood It was well said by one of the Ancients I have not whence Ambros de Jacob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 1. cap. 6. pag. 290 291. I may glory in my own works I have not whence I may boast my self and therefore I will glory in Christ I will not glory that I am righteous but I will glory that I am redeemed I will glory not because I am without sin but because my sins are forgiven I will not glory because I have profited or because any hath profited me but because Christ is an Advocate with the father for me but because the blood of Christ is shed for me Certainly the Popish Doctrine of man's own satisfaction in part for his sins is most derogatory to the blood and to the plenary and complete satisfaction of Jesus Christ But Thirdly Observe that nothing below the obedience and sufferings of Christ our Mediator could satisfie divine Justice Heb. 10. 5. But a body hast thou prepared me the Hebrew text Psal 40. 7. saith Thou hast boared through mine ears but the Apostle follows the Greek Translation seeing the same sence is contained in both Christ having declared what his father delighted not in he further sheweth affirmatively what it was wherein he rested well pleased in these words but a body hast thou prepared me In this phrase A body hast thou prepared me Christ is brought in speaking to his father By body is meant the humane nature of Christ Body is Synecdochically put for the whole humane nature consisting of body and soul the body was the visible part of Christ's humane nature A body is fit for a sacrifice fit to be slain fit to have blood shed out of it fit to be offered up fit to be made a price and a ransom for our sins and fit to answer the types under the Law Pertinently therefore to this purpose is it said of Christ He himself bare our sins 1 Pâ—t 2. 24. Hâ—b 2. 9 14 17. in his own body and those infirmities wherein he was made like unto us were most conspicuously evidenced in his body and hereby
everlasting life for it is explained that not to lose them vers 39. is that they may have everlasting life for the further assurance of believers of their eternal happiness it is also covenanted that they shall have this life in present possession in the earnest and first fruits thereof for they have everlasting life even here and before their raising up They have everlasting life 1. in prâ—misso 2. in pretio 3. in primltiis he stands already on the battlements of heaven he hath one foot in the porch of Paradise Again Christ having given an earnest-penny of salvation will not suffer it to be lost by any difficulty or impediment in the way but will carry believers through all difficulties till he destroy death and the grave and raise up their very dust that in body and soul they may partake of that bliss and that he may make it manifest that death and rotting in the grave doth not make void his interest nor cause his affection to cease Therefore it is added And I will raise him up at the last day Thus you see that God the father did lay his commands upon his son to engage in this great work of redeeming and saving poor sinners souls c. In the third place I shall shew you that the manner or quality of the transaction between God the father and Jesus Christ was by mutual engagements and stipulations each person undertaking to perform his part in order to our recovery and eternal felicity we find each person undertaking for himself by solemn promise The father promiseth that he will hold Christ's hand and keep him Isa 42. 6. God the father engages himself to direct and assist Christ and to keep him from miscarrying and that he will give him all necessary strength and ability for the execution of his mediatory office and work wonders by him and with him according to that word My father hitherto worketh and I work and the son engages Joh. 5. 17. himself that he will obey the fathers call and not be rebellious Isa 50. 5. I was not rebellious neither turned away Exod. 3. 11 13. cap. 4. 1 10 13. back that is I did not hang back as Moses once and again did nor refuse to go when God sent me as once Jon. 1. 3. Jon. â—s did but I offered my self freely and readily to my father's call there was no affliction no opposition no persecution no evil usage that I met with in carrying on the work of Redemption that did ever startle me or discourage me or make me flinch or shrink back from that great and blessed work that I had undertaken I was dutiful and obedient to the calls commands of my father in all things that he required of me or set me about Now the father the son being thus mutually engaged by promise one to another in honour and faithfulness it highly concerned them to keep one another close to the terms of the Covenant that was made between them and accordingly they did for God the father peremptorily stands upon that compleat and full satisfaction that Christ had promised to give to his justice and therefore when the day of payment came he would not abate Jesus Christ one penny one farthing of the many ten thousand Talents that he Mat. 18. 24. was to pay down upon the nail for us Rom. 8. 32. God spared not his own son that is he abated nothing of that full price that by agreement with his father he was to lay down for us other fathers give their all to spare and redeem their children but the heart of God the father is so fully and strongly set upon satisfaction that he will not spare his son his own son his only son but give him up to death yea to an accursed death that we might be Mauritius who died most miserably spared and saved for ever I have read of a Roman Emperour who chose rather to spare his money than to redeem his souldiers being taken prisoners But to redeem us God would not spare no not his own son because no money nor treasure would serve the turn but only the blood yea the heart-blood of his dear son 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. And as God the father keeps Christ close to the terms of the Covenant so Jesus Christ keeps his father close to the terms of the Covenant also Joh. 17. 4 5. I have glorified thee on the earth saith Christ to his father I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do And now O father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was O my father I have finished the work of Redemption but where 's the wages where 's the glory where 's the reward that thou hast promised me There was nothing committed to Christ by the father to be done on earth for the purchasing of our Redemption but he did finish it so that the debt is paid justice satisfied and sin Satan and death spoiled so that nothing remains but that Christ be glorified according to the promise of the father to him The summ of Christ's petition is this that since he had finished the work of Redemption that therefore the father according to his engagement would advance him to the possession of that glory that he enjoyed from all eternity Now for the clearing of this we must consider that as Christ was from Eternity the glorious God so we are not to conceive of any real change in this glory of his Godhead as if by his estate of humiliation he had suffered any diminution or by his state of exaltation any real accession were made to his glory as God But the true meaning is this That Christ having according to the paction past betwixt the father and him obscured the glory of his Godhead for a time under the veil of the Phil. 2. 5 6 7 8. form of a servant and our sinless infirmities doth now expect according to the tenour of the same paction after he had done his work to be exalted and glorified and openly declared to be the son of God the veil of his estate Rom. 1. 4. of humiliation though not of our nature being taken away It is further to be considered that however this eternal glory be proper to him as God yet he prays to be glorified in his whole person Glorifie me because not only his humane nature was to be exalted to what glory finite nature was capable of but the glory of his Godhead was to shine in the person of Christ God-man and in the man Christ though without confusion of his natures and properties Christ did so faithfully discharge his trust and perfect the work of Redemption as that the father was engaged by paction to glorifie him and accordingly Christ God incarnate is exalted with the father in glory and majesty so that believers may be as sure that all things necessary for their Redemption are done as
and blood vers 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Christ assumed the common nature of man and not of any particular person The Apostle doth here purposely use this word seed to shew that Christ came out of the Gen. 46. 26. Exod. 1. 5. Heb. 7. 5. 1 King 8. 19. loins of man as Jacob's children and their children are said to come out of his loins and as all the Jews are said to come out of the loins of Abraham and as Solomon is said to come out of the loins of David in a man's loins his seed is and it is a part of his substance Thus it sheweth that Christ's humane nature was of the very substance of man and that Christ was the very same that was promised to be the Redeemer of man for of old he was foretold under this word seed as The seed of the woman Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 12. 18. Rom. 9. 7. Heb. 11. 18. 2 Ram. 7. 12. Joh. 8. 58. the seed of Abraham the seed of Isaac the seed of David This word he took on him as it setteth out the humane nature of Christ so it gives us a hint of his Divine Nature for it presupposeth that Christ was before he took on him the seed of Abraham He that taketh any thing on him must needs be before he do so is it possible for him that is not to take any thing on him Now Christ in regard of his humane nature was not before he assumed that nature therefore that former being must needs be in regard of his divine nature in that respect he ever was even the eternal God being God he took on him an humane nature Christ's Eternal Deity shines in this 16. verse and so does his true humanity in that he took upon him the seed of man it is most evident that he was a true man Seed is the matter of man's nature and the very substance thereof The seed of man is the root out Isa 11. 1. Luk. 1. 35. of which Christ assumed his humane nature The humane nature was not created of nothing nor was it brought from heaven but assumed out of the seed of man The humane nature of Christ never had a subsistence in it self At or in the very first framing or making it it was united to the Divine nature and at or in the first uniting it it Creanâ—â—â— fundiâ—ur inâ—undâ—ndo creatuâ— was framed or made Philosophers say of the uniting of the soul to the body in creating it it is infused and in infusing it it is created Much more is this true concerning the Humane nature of Christ united to his Divine Fitly therefore is it here said that he took on him the seed of Abraham So Joh. 1. 14. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us The Evangelist having proved the Divinity of Jesus Christ comes now to speak of his humanity incarnation and manifestation in the flesh whereby he became God and Man in one person Flesh here signifies the whole man in Scripture ye all know that man consisteth of two parts which are sometimes called flesh and spirit and sometimes called soul and body Now by a Synecdoche either of these pâ—rts may bâ— put for the whole And so sometimes the soul is put for the whole man and sometimes the body is put for the whole man as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margin Aâ—l. 27. 37. Gen. â—6 27. Râ—m 12. 1. cap. 3. 20. Christ put himself into a low siâ— leprous suit of ours to expiate our pride and robbery in reaching after the Dâ—ity and to heal â—â— of our spiritual Leprosie for if â—â— had nâ—t assumed our flesh he had not saved us Nâ—zianz together Christ did assume the whole man he did assume the soul as well as the body and both under the term Flesh And indeed unless he had assumed the whole man the whole man could not have been saved if Christ had not taken the whole man he could not have saved the whole man Christ took the nature of man that he might be a fit Mediator if he had not been man he could not have died and if he had not been God he could not have satisfied So great was the difficulty of restoring the Image of God in lost man and of restoring him to God's favour and the dignity of sonship that no less could do it than the natural son of God his becomeing the son of man to suffer in our nature and so great was the Father's love and the Son's love to fallen man as to lay a foundation of reconciliation betwixt God and man in the personal union of the Divine and Humane nature of Christ so much is imported in those words the word was made flesh The person of the Godhead that was incarnate was neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost but the Son the second Person for the Word was made Flesh There being a real distinction of the Persons that one of them is is not another and each of them having their proper manner of subsistence the one of them might be incarnate and not the other and it is the Godhead not simply considered but the Person of the Son subsisting in that Godhead that was incarnate And it was very convenient that the second or middle Person in order of subsistence of the blessed Trinity should be the Reconciler of God and man and that he by whom all things Celes 1. 16 17. Heb. 1. 2 3. were made should be the Restorer and Maker of the new World and that he who was the express Image of his Father should be the Repairer of the Image of God in us Oh the admirable love and wisdom of God that shines in this that the second Person in the Trinity is set on work to procure our Redemption Though reason could never have found out such a way yet when God hath revealed it reason though but shallow can see a fitness in it because there being a necessity that the Saviour of man should be man and an impossibility that any but God should save him and one Person in the Trinity being to be incarnate it agrees to reason that the first Person in the Trinity should not be the Mediator for who should send him he is of none and therefore could not be sent There must be one sent to reconcile the enmity and another to give gifts to friends two proceeding Persons the Son from the Father and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son Accordingly the second Person which is the Son he is sent upon the first errand to reconcile man to God and the third person the Holy Ghost he is sent to give gifts to men so reconciled so as to reason it is suitable and a very great congruity that God having made all things by his Son should now repair all things by his Son that he that was the middle Person