the death of this Death or that wherein it mainly consists hence though it doth not carry in it any annihilation yea though it be attended with a kind of Life both Soul and Body retaining their physical being existence and union yet 't is called Death because there is in it a separation from the fountain of true Life and of all blessedness upon which account 't is not only Death but the worst Death and this too is the worst part of this worst Death for though there be more included in it than the loss of Gods presence viz. the punnishment of sense eternal torment in Hell-fire yet it might easily be prov'd that herein lies its greatest evil the Mat. 25.41 departing from God is worse than the going into everlasting fire But to apply this distinction to the business in hand How Believers are made free from the Law of temporal death 1. The Law of the Spirit of Life frees the Regenerate from death temporal Not simply and absolutely from death considered abstractly and in it-self for so all must dye Believers themselves are within the compass of the general Statute Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave but it frees from death as so qualified and so circumstantiated in the language of the Text it frees from the Law of Death How 's that why take a gracious man Death hath not a full right or an absolute power over him so as to keep him under its dominion forever for so I show'd you some open this Law of Death Such an one may dye but he shall live again the grave shall not always hold him he may be thrown into prison for a time but Christ will fetch him out and then death shall never again exercise its power over him after he hath died once he shall dye no more as 't is said of Christ Rom. 6.9 Again Grace frees from the Law of this Death that is from the hurtfulness sting and curse of it Death carries much of a curse in it 't is the result and fruit of the primitive * Gen. 2.17 curse now in this notion sanctified persons are freed from it The nature and property of death is altered to a godly man to him 't is now but the paying of that debt or tribute which is due to Nature but a (a) 1. Thes 4.14 sleep but a (b) Job 14.14 change but a (c) Luk. 2.29 departure or going out of prison but a (d) If. 57.2 going to bed but an (e) 2 Cor. 5.4 uncloathing but a passage into an endless and everlasting life an inlet into the immediate fruition of God O set but sense aside what an harmless innocent thing is this death to such a person the Lion being slain by Christ there 's hony now in the belly of it I allude to that of Sampson Judg. 14.8 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting ô grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God which give thus the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Christ by death hath overcome death unstung it and taken off its hurtful quality by dying himself he hath expiated Sin vanquished Satan atoned God satisfied the Law secured from Hell purchased eternal life and these things being done where is now the Law of Death Heb 2.14 15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of dâ—ath were all their life time subject to bondage How from the Law of eternal death 2. There is that death which is much worse than this viz. eternal death that which indeed is the death incomparably surpassing any other as no life like to eternal life so no death like to eternal death To have the Body separated for a while from the Soul is a thing to Nature very dreadful but what is that to the separation both of Body and Soul from God forever This is sometimes set forth by Death without the addition of any Epethite as Joh. 8.51 If a man keep my sayings he shall never see death Rom. 6.23 8.6 passim Sometimes by the second death and 't is so stiled because it succeeds upon and doth not commence till after the first death Rev. 2.11 He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Rev 20.6 21.4 This is that death which the * Sicut is qui liberatur a Lege Spiritus vitae permanet in Christo qui est vita ita qui servit Lege peccati permanet in morte quae venit ex damnatione peccati Orig. unconverted and impenitent are obnoxious unto but such as turn to God by true repentance and live and holy life they are freed from it And this deliverance is absolute the former was but in such a qualified sense but this I say is absolute Even such may and shall dye the first death but they shall never dye this second death Rom. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power You read of the abolishing of this death by Christ 2 Tim. 1.10 eternal death is quite abolished to all regenerate persons But this very much falls in with the No-condemnation in the foregoing Verse of which having there said enough I 'le add nothing more VSE 1. Men exhorted to live in the belief of this that 't is Sin and Death By way of Vse 1. I would exhort you all to live in the steady belief of this and often to revive it upon your thoughts that 't is Sin and Death Especially when at any time Satan and your own hearts sollicit and tempt you to sin be sure then you think of this so as to retort it upon the temptation speedily what shall I sin and dye shall I for the pleasures delights satisfaction of sin which are but * Heb. 11.25 for a season expose my self to death yea to eternal death no that I dare not that I must not do 'T is good to break the force of a temptation by such reasonings as these for though 't is true the great restraints from sin should be taken from the love of God the fear of offending God c. yet it 's good and God allows it to take in the advantage of self-love too and the fear of self-destroying Surely if men did indeed believe or did nor strangely smother and suppress all serious convictions about this that 't is sin and death they durst not sin as they do Where 's the man let him be never so thirsty or let the draught be never so alluring that would venture upon it should he
needs upon this be excellent and glorious The excellency of persons and things is to be measured by their appropinquation or approximation to that which is most excellent then the Saints are the * Psal 16.3 excellent in the earth because they are so near to Christ the center of all excellencies How was the humane Nature advanc'd and dignifi'd even above the Angelical Nature when it was so nearly united to the Godhead as the woman of mean descent is when she is match'd into some great family And hath not Christ highly advanc'd your persons too by taking them into so close so intimate an union with himself 'T was accounted honour for Esther to be taken into Ahasuerus's Royal Bed 't was a far greater honour to her to become his wife but this is nothing to the honour which Christ hath put upon you in his joyning and marrying of you to himself O let him first be adored who hath thus eâ—aâ—â—â—d poor worms and then you should know how to judge of your selves according to the advancement and dignity conferred upon you by your being in Christ As to your Being and Order the Angels are above you * Psal 8.5 Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels but as Christ hath assumed your Nature and not theirs and hath thus nearly united your Persons to himself so they are a little nay a great deal lower than you Let there be no pride or sinful self-exaltation in you yet know how to put a right estimate upon your selves according to your advancement by Grace The Saint in his rags is greater than the Sinner in his robes for the one is in Christ and the other is not and that puts a superlative glory and excellency upon him Believers being in Christ they are safe 2. Are you in Christ Jesus then as your dignity is great so your safety is great too You need not fear the greatest dangers which threaten you upon your being in Christ even in the * Psal 23.4 valley of the shadow of death you are safe The Evils you dread are either temporal and external or spiritual internal and eternal you are secure against all That special providence which is over you secures against the first and that special Grace which is in you and towards you secures against the last * Isa 4.5 Vpon all the glory shall be a defence You upon your Vnion are a part of this glory for it points to persons as well as things therefore there 's a defence upon you to keep off whatever might hurt you You are not meerly a part of Christ through your conjunction with him but you are in regard of his special and tender affection as * Zech. 2.8 the apple of his cye and will he not guard the apple of his eye He that is in this Ark must needs be safe in the greatest deluge The Evil of Evils is eternal condemnation but what saith the Text There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus How can they perish who are one with Christ will he suffer persons so united to him to be miserable so long as 't is well with the Head shall it not be well with the Members also In the Body Natural the Head may be safe and yet some of the Members may perish but in the Body Mystical 't is otherwise where all the members are safe in the head and as safe as the head it self O Believers you may with courage look the greatest dangers evils in the face as knowing that none of them shall ever reach you much to hurt you because you are so strongly engarrison'd in Christ But more of this in the last branch of Comfort Christ sympathizes with those who are in him 3. Are you in Christ Jesus Here 's Comfort for you Vpon your union with him he sympathizes with you in all your afflictions and looks upon all done to you as done to himself I say Christ sympathizes with you in all your afflictions for he 's a sympathizing compassionate tender-hearted Saviour as you read Heb. 4.15 Heb. 5.2 As there is by virtue of the Vnion a mutual sympathy betwixt the Head and the Members the Husband and the Wife so 't is here 'twixt Christ and you * Isa 63.9 in all your afflictions he is afflicted He that * Isa 53.4 bore your griefs when he was on earth really and properly he bears them still now he is in heaven in a way of sympathy Further I add he hath a tender sense of what is done to you and looks upon it as done to himself and no wonder since he and you are but One. He that touches you touches the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 * Sic vocem pedis suscipit Lingua clamat calcas me in membris Christi Christus est August in Ps 30. Saul Saul why persecutest me Act. 9.4 When the Saint is persecuted Christ himself in him is persecuted As if any kindness or love be shown to Believers Christ looks upon it as done to himself Matth. 25.40 Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it to me So if any unkindness be shown to them Christ looks upon it as done to himself O that Enemies would be quiet and let God's people alone and fear to wrong or injure them for they are so united to Christ so incorporated with him that they who strike at them do through them strike at Christ himself Will certainly supply them in all their wants 4. Are you in Christ He will then most certainly supply you in all your wants In temporal wants fear not Christ will provide will he suffer that body to starve which he hath united to himself You are full of anxious thoughts what ye shall eat and drink what ye shall put on Christ would have you * Matth. 6.26 take no thought about these things your bodies being in union with him he 'le look after them so that they shall not want what is necesiary O Believer hath Christ thus admirably joyn'd thee to himself and will he deny thee a little meat and drink and cloathing And then as to spiritual wants in those Christ will supply too Every member in the body from this head shall receive that grace life strength that is proper for it The root supplies every branch with what it needs Christ will do the same to every believing Soul and this is part of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that supply of the Spirit which you read of Phil. 1.19 This union is operative and communicative if thou beest in Christ thou shalt most surely have from him * Rom. 12.3 that measure of Grace and Comfort which he sees best for thee Every Lamp in the Golden-candlestick was supplied from the two Olives Zec. 4.12 and so every particular member of Christ is and shall as need requires be supplied from him The Apostle tells us 1 Tim.
guide and the giver of the spiritual life as the Soul gives life to the Body so the Spirit of God gives life to the Soul in which respect he is called * Dicitur Spiritus vitae quód animam vegetet vivificet divinâ gratiâ Contzen Sicut Spiritus naturalis facit vitam naturae sic Spiritus Divinus facit vitam Gratiae Aquin. the Spirit of life And this Life or Quickening by the Spirit is either that which is at the first Conversion or that which is subsequent and follows after Conversion 1. First there is that Life which is proper to the first Conversion When the Sinner is converted he 's quickened or made alive for indeed till that great work was done in him in a spiritual sense he was no better than a dead man before renewing grace there 's no life 'T is the regenerating Spirit which inspires this into the Soul I say into the Soul for that 's the receptive subject of this Life There is another Life or quickening to be wrought also by the Spirit which is proper to the Body of which the Apostle speaks here Verse 11 shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you in reference to which Christ too is called a quickening Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 but the proper subject of the present and spiritual enlivening by the Spirit is the Soul Now take a man before Conversion he hath a Soul spiritually dead he lives the life of Nature the common animal life and that 's all but when the Spirit comes and renews him it breaths a divine and excellent life into him Eph. 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Luk. 15.32 for this thy brother was dead and is alive again The Spirit of life is the Spirit of regeneration and he working as a regenerating Spirit is the Spirit of life 2. There is the Spirits quickning after Conversion For this in such a sense is a continued abiding repeated act we are but once regenerated and therefore but once habitually quickned but the actual and subsequent quickning is renewed and reiterated from time to time This lies in the exciting and actuating of the several Graces the taking off the deadness of the heart in holy Duties the drawing out of vigoxous and lively desires after God and Christ the raising and stirring up of the Affections c. And all this is done by the Spirit of life also the life and liveliness too of a Christian is from the vital quickning influences of the Spirit without which there can be no spiritual vivacity in him Therefore the Spouse pray'd * Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out she directed her prayer to the Spirit and what did she pray for for that which I am upon viz. the enlivening and exciting of her Graces she expresses it metaphorically but this was the thing which her Soul breath'd after To apply this in a word for 't is not a point which I intend to stay upon Sirs V. S. R. You see whether you are go for life Here 's the Spirit of life to him therefore you must apply your selves for life 't is the living Spirit which must make you live Are you not spiritually dead is not this the sad condition of all who lie in the Natural State what are such but as so many walking Ghosts they are no better than dead even whilst they live as the Apostle speaks of the Widow that lives in pleasure 1 Tim. 5.6 is not Grace the Life of the Soul what is Life it self but a kind of Death without Christ and Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ignatius Alas you may move walk breath eat drink sleep put forth all the several acts of the animal Life and yet for all this in reference to any spiritual Life be but dead persons And is it so with any of you O why do you not fly to the Spirit of Life that you may be quickned God convince you of the misery of spiritual Death that you may endeavour to get out of it and God convince you of the glory excellency necessity of the spiritual Life that you with the most earnest desires pursue after it what is is to have the Life of Nature and to want the Life of Grace to have living Bodies without and dead Souls within to be able to doe whatever is proper to Nature and not to be able to put forth one vital act of Grace Is not the spiritual death a certain forerunner of the eternal death can he that is dead here being without God hope to live with God hereafter O that you would be persuaded to make out after the spiritual Life I would in hearty desires say that for every dead Soul which they once wrote upon the Tomb of dead Brutus utinam viveres would to God that thou mightest live But how shall that be accomplished why thus here 's the Spirit of Life whose Office it is to quicken the dead whoever thou art therefore if thou wilt but betake thy self to this Spirit he can and he will give thee Life Life thou must have for 't is better to have no Life than not to have this Life Life thou maist have nay Life thou shal◠have if thou wilt but implore improve wait depend upon this Spirit of Life Further you that are Saints in whom the quickning Spirit hath effectually wrought yet do not you find your selves too often under great deadness certainly you are great strangers to your selves if you do not find it to be so you are not dead yet often under deadness O now whenever 't is so with you and you groan under it as your burden do you also apply your selves to this Spirit of Life You go to Duty attend upon Ordinances pray hear the Word receive the Sacrament and you would fain be lively in all would you be so indeed look upwards then as knowing 't is the Spirit of Life that must make you so Quickning Grace is very pretious to the Soul that is sincere a Child of God cannot be without it he cannot be satisfied in the bare having of grace unless it be lively nor with the bare performance of Duty unless he be lively in it How earnest was David in his prayers to God for it Psal 119.25 37 40 88. Quicken thou me according to thy word Quicken thou me in thy way Quicken me in thy righteousness Quicken me after thy loving kindness the earnestness of his desires after it made him go over it again and again And no wonder it is so for how sweet are Ordinances to a gracious person when he hath life in them when therein he can get his Graces up his Affections up and lively when he prays and hath life in prayer hears and hath life in hearing receives and hath life in receiving O then great is his joy Deadness very much hinders Comfort in
dye Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world and Death by Sin even so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ver. 17. For if by one mans offence Death reigned by one c. here 's Death and the Law of Death too by Sin it hath got a power over men so as to reign over them Had there been no Sin there had been no Death if man had continued in his sinless and innocent state he might have been * Vide Grot. de Sat. c. 1. p. 18. mortal i. e. under a posse mori he being but a Creature and made up of contrary principles but he had not actually dyed much less had he been under a necessity of dying if he had not sinn'd Death did not come into the world upon Gods meer dominion and Soveraignty or meerly upon the frailty of the humane Nature as Pelagians of old and (a) Mors non erat poena vel effectus transgressionis Adami sed conditionis naturalis consequens Socin de Statu primi hominis Vide Praelect Cap. 1. contra Paccium Cap. 5. Socinians of late assert but as the (b) Calov Soc. Prost p. 250. Hoorn Soc. conf vol. 1 l. 3. c. 4. p. 583 c. Franz Scho Sacr. Disp 1. p. 7. fruit and punnishment of Sin Immortality was a part of (c) Molin Enod Grav Qu. de statu Innoc. Tract 3. p. 62. Gerhard Loc. Com. de Imag c. t. 1. c. 4. p. 199. Zâ—â—em de Imag. c. c. 8. Art 2. Moretâ—n's threefold state of man p. 1. c. 2. p. 35. Gods Image at first imprinted upon man that image being defac'd mortality took place You know in Gods dealing with our first Parents how he back'd his Command or Prohibition with the threatning of death Gen. 2.17 Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye they disobeyed this most equitable Commandment and thereby brought death both upon themselves Gen. 3.19 and also upon all their posterity Besides the guilt of this Sin made over to all mankind by imputation there is mens personal sin habitual and actual which renders them yet more obnoxious unto death and that too not onely to temporal but also to eternal death Rom. 6.21 the end of those things is death v. 23. the wages of sin is death The Apostle in James 1.14.15 treats of the first and last of Sin shows where it begins and where it ends sets down its rise progress and final issue But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished it bringeth forth death Sin is the issue of Lust and Death is the issue of Sin So that our Apostle here in the Text might upon very good grounds link and couple Sin and Death Where 't is the Law of Sin there 't is the Law of Death 2. Observe that 't is the Law of Sin and the Law of Death which is here coupled together so that where 't is the Law of Sin there and there only 't is the Law of Death When Sin is reigning and commanding then 't is ruining and condemning 't is the power of Sin that exposes to the power of death Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness 'T is true every sin in its own nature deserves death the Scripture knows no such thing as venial sin it being judge all and every sin is mortal indeed as to event the Apostle saith there is a Sin not unto death 1 Joh. 5.17 but as to merit every Sin be it what it will deserves death Yet God is so gracious as that Sin shall not condemn and end in death where it doth not command 'Pray mark it how in the words the Law of the Spirit is join'd with Life and the Law of Sin with Death as where the power of the Spirit is there is Life so where the power of Sin is there is Death I know the Death in the latter Clause doth not carry a direct opposition to the Life in the former for the Life there referring to Grace and Regeneration and not to Glory hereafter the Death which refers to eternal Condemnation and the misery of the future state cannot be look'd upon as directly opposite to that Life yet there is a truth in the Parallel As upon the Law of the Spirit there is Life spiritual and eternal so upon the Law of Sin there is ' Death spiritual and eternal too Further I know there is a great disparity betwixt the Spirits working Life and Sins working Death the Law of the Spirit works Life in the way of proper Efficiency and Causality the Law of Sin works Death only in a final consequential meritorious way yet here also we may speak by way of Parallel as the power of the Spirit works Life in its way so the power of Sin works Death too in its way That which I drive at is very plain if I be so happy as to express my self clearly about it Regenerate persons are made free from the Law of Death 3. Observe that such who are brought under the power of the regenerating Spirit they are made free from the Law of Death This was Paul's happiness here laid down and 't is the same to all that are regenerate the proof of which I need not insist upon for this deliverance undeniably follows from the former they who are made free from the Law of Sin by that Grace are also made free from the Law of Death it being the Law of Sin which subjects the Creature to the Law of Death The power or right of Death stands or falls by the power of Sin so that if the person be freed from the latter as you have heard every regenerate person is it certainly follows in the course and methods of Gods Grace that every such person shall be freed from the former too for the Law of Death is penal or the effect of the Law of Sin now take away the Cause and the Effect ceases Quest How is this to be understood But a little explication will be necessary How may Regenerate Persons be said to be made free from the Law of Death For answer to this Answ you know Death is either temporal or eternal I do not instance in spiritual Death because though 't is very true that the Saints upon the Law of the Spirit are made free from this Death yet I conceive that is not so much intended here the former lies in the separation of the Soul from the Body for a time the latter in the everlasting separation of both Soul and Body from the love and favour and presence of God This separation from God is
Vnion Joh. 14.20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you that day refers either to the time when the Spirit should be given which is promised v. 16 17 or to the glorisied state spoken of v. 19 upon the effusion of the Spirit men may come to know something of this Union but it will never be fully understood by them till they be in Glory In the opening of it so far as the present state and the height of the mystery will admit of I must look into the Word and keep to that and fetch all from that for 't is Revelation and not Reason which here must give us Light The Word having reveal'd it Reason may be useful as an Handmaid to shadow it out by such and such Resemblances thereby to help us the better to conceive of it but that which must be our first and main Guide about it is Scripture Revelation Now the Scripture speaks of a threefold Vnion 1. There is the Vnion of three Persons in one Nature Of the Vnion of the Three Pexsons of the two Natures in Christ and of the Mystical Vnion 2. There is the Vnion of two Natures in one Person 3. There is the Vnion of Persons where yet Persons and Natures are distinct 1. There is the Vnion of three Persons in one Nature This is in the Trin-Vnity where you have three Persons united in the Godhead the Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity One in Three in respect of Nature and Essence and Three in One in respect of Personality This is that ineffable incomprehensible Union which is between the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the same common Nature of the Godhead Of which the Apostle speaks 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Here are Three and yet One Three as to their distinct Personal Subsistences and yet One as to their common Nature This a Mystery to be adored not to be fathomed a * The Union betwixt the Three Persons c. the knowledge of this is not nay cannot be attained unto by the Light of Nature No example can illustrate no Reason Angelical or humane can comprehend the hidden excellency of this glorious Mystery But it is discovered to us by a divine Revelation in the written Word and our Faith must receive and our Piety admire what our Reason cannot comprehend Cheynel of the Divine Trin-Unity ch ◠p. 19 Vide Aquin. p. 1. Qu. 39. Art 1 2. Lombard Lib. 1. Dist 2 3. Mystery much too deep for the Plummet of Reason to reach he that by Reason would go about to grasp it is as foolish as he that would attempt to put the Ocean into a bucket or to grasp the Universe in the hollow of his hand 2. There is the Vnion of two Natures in one Person This is that which we commonly call the Hypostatical Vnion or the Union of the two Natures in Christ his Godhead and his Manhood both making up but one Person You may thus conceive of it 'T is the substantial supernatural conjunction of the two Natures in Christ the Divine assuming the Humane and giving it a subsistence in its self so that both make but one Person and yet so as that the being and properties of both Natures are preserved intire As to this twofold Vnion I am not at present concern'd to speak to them when I shall come to the third Verse I shall have occasion there to speak to the latter 3. There is the Vnion of Persons where yet Persons and Natures are distinct and this is the Mystical Vnion The Mystical Vnion opened that which is betwixt Christ and Believers this I am only now to speak to Concerning which that you may not mistake the Nature of it you must know here is Vnion but no transmutation confusion or commixtion here is the union of persons but not personal union 1. Here is union but no transmutation confusion or commixtion I 'le put them together for brevity sake Believers are united to Christ but yet not so as that they are changed or transformed into the very essence or being of Christ so as to be Christed with Christ as some too boldly speak or that he is changed or transformed into the essence and being of Believers no you must not entertain a thought of any such thing Christ is Christ still and Believers are but Creatures still notwithstanding this Union though they be really and nearly united yet both keep their Natures distinct and are the same after the Union that they were before it As it is in the Persons in the Sacred Trinity (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc de Orthod Fide lib. 1. cap. 11. pag. 42 there is Vnion but no confusion they are Essentially one yet they have their personal Properties and distinct Subsistences And as it is in the two Natures of Christ they are under a near Vnion they make but one Person yet for all this they are (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synod Calced distinct the Godhead is not turned into the Manhood nor the Manhood into the Godhead they are united but not confounded or converted for both of them even after this Union do still retain their * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Dial. cap. 66. essential properties without confusion or conversion So 't is in the Union of Believers with Christ for thus far we may make use of the two former Vnions to open the Mystical Union by they all agree in This though in other things they differ You may take a lower resemblance of it if you please In Man there is a near Vnion between Soul and Body and these two united make up the man * Vide Nemes de Nat. Hom. p. 97. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. yet upon the union the Soul is not turned into the nature of the Body nor the Body into the nature of the Soul they are not confounded though united they yet retain their essence and properties distinct the Soul is the Soul still and the Body is the Body still So it is in the Vnion between Christ and Believers 2. Here is the Vnion of persons but not personal union And here lies the difference between the Mystical Vnion and the Hypostatical Vnion The Hypostatical Vnion is Personal but not of Persons the reason is because in Christ there are two Natures but there is but one Person there is this Nature and that Nature in Christ but not this Person and that Person in Christ as Nestorius held there is in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliud aliud but not alius alius as the Learned express it Christ did not assume the * Vide Lombard Lib. 3. Dist 5. Person of man but the Nature of man into his Person Non assumpsit Hominem Personam sed
the vine ye are the branches You read of being planted and ingrafted into Christ 't is a Metaphor which the Spirit of God much delights in in the setting forth of that which I am upon See Rom 6.5 and chap. 11.17 c. Also you read of being rooted in Christ Col. 2.7 There is a blessed Analogy or resemblance between Christ and Believers and the Root and the Branches in point of Vnion in point of Influence The root is united to the branches and thâ—y to it so is Christ to Believers and they to him The root conveys life and nourishment and growth to the branches so does Christ to Believers Another Resemblance is the Foundation and the Building Here is Vnion too for in a Building all the Stones and Timber being joined and fastned together upon the Foundation make but one entire Structure So 't is here Believers are Gods building and Christ is the foundation in that building Ye are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 3.11 Therefore they are said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Eph. 2.20 As a man builds upon the foundation and lays the stress of the whole building upon that so take the true Christian he builds upon Christ all his Faith Hope Confidence is built upon this sure foundation as Christ is stiled Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a sure foundation Hence also they are said As lively stones to be built up a spiritual house c. 1 Pet. 2.5 Here 's the Mystical Union under this resemblance also Take but One more that of Meat or Food That which a man feeds upon and digests it is incorporated and united with himself it 's turned into his own substance and made a part of himself The Believing Soul by Faith feeds upon Christ digests him and turns him as it were into his own substance so that Christ becomes one with him and he one with Christ Joh. 6.55 56. My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him All this must be taken not in the literal but in the spiritual notion the eating and drinking is believing so 't is to be understood all along in that Chapter Upon which believing the Vnion follows he dwells in me and I in him Thus I have with great brevity given you those Scripture-Resemblances by which the Mystical Vnion is shadowed out The handling of them in their utmost extent is a Subject that would have admitted of great enlargement but my business was but to speak to that one thing from them which suits with the work in hand In some of the preceding Heads I was in the great deeps but in this I have been in the shallows there the Elephant might swim here the Lamb may wade there things were not so dark but here they are as clear therefore I shall not need to make any further stay upon them Seven Properties of the Mystical Vnion I come to the Third Head the Properties of this Vnion I 'le name these Seven First 'T is a sublime Vnion And that 1. In respect of its Nature as considered in it self Christ and a poor Creature made one and so made One O what an Union is this We have many Vnions in Nature and some very considerable but alas they all come short and are but poor mean low things in comparison of this Next to the Vnion of the Three Persons in the Sacred Trinity and the Hypostatical Vnion of the two Natures in Christ the Mystical Vnion is the highest Except but those which I have named and all other Unions must vail to it 2. 'T is sublime in respect of its rise Original and production The more supernatural a thing is the more sublime it is now this Union is purely supernatural What can Nature be imagin'd to do for the bringing about of such a thing as this O surely 't is all of the meer Grace of God! As 't is not Natural for the Matter of it so neither is it so for the production and application of it 'T is supernatural as to the Thing and also as to the Person to whom it belongs 3. 'T is sublime in respect of the high and glorious Priviledges Effects and Consequents of it 4. In respect of its mysteriousness and difficulty to be known Something I spoke to this at my first entrance upon this Subject The mystical Union is a mysterious Union so mysterious that we had known nothing at all of it if God had not revealed it to us in the Word And even now he hath revealed it yet 't is but very little that we do understand of it That there is this Union that 's as clear as the light of the Sun but what this Union is O that 's a thing hidden and lock'd up from us The Union of the Body and Soul in Man is a great mystery there is even in that Vnion that which puzzles the greatest Philosophers but the Union of Christ and the Believer is a far greater mystery That persons every way so distant so divided should yet be made mystically One here 's a mystery indeed a mystery which no finite Understanding Angelical or Humane can comprehend Secondly 'T is a real Vnion Not a notional phantastick or opinionative thing something that is meerly matter of phancy and imagination or something that dull and melancholly persons please themselves with the thoughts of O 't is not so but 't is a real thing and as great a reality as any whatsoever it be You have very many Scriptures which speak to it under great variety of Expressions all of which with the greatest evidence and clearness do point to it and cannot be otherwise understood and yet will you doubt of it and look upon it as a meer phancy As really as the members â—â—e united to the head and the head to them the Wife to the Husband and the Husband to the Wife the branches to the root and the root to the branches so really are the Saints united to Christ and Christ to them for these several Vnions do confirm as well as represent and open the Mystical Vnion Nothing in Religion is real if this be not take away this Mystical Oneness between Christ and the Soul and take away all Is not the Union 'twixt God the Father and God the Son a real Vnion surely that will not be deny'd if so then this is real also for Joh. 17.22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one Observe it 't is one even as we are one but how not as to any equality but only as to verity not as to the modus or qualitas unionis but only as to the veritas unionis This as is often but a note of likeness
as to the Body also The Soul indeed is the principal Subject of this Union but the Body too hath its share in it therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6.15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ As Christ in the assuming of the nature of man took not the body only or the soul only but both and so united them to the Godhead so 't is in the Mystical Union the whole man is knit to whole Christ And which puts marvailous sweetness into it the totality of this Vnion on Christs part reaches to every individual Believer in the world as the whole Soul is united to every part of the Body so 't is whole Christ to every Believer Sixthly 'T is an immediate Vnion Christ and the believing Soul they * See Davenant upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Colos 2.19 Per has commissuras Christus tangit nos nos tangimus Christum touch each the other if I may so express it and the Word encourages me so to do there is nothing that doth intervene or interpose between Christ and it In other unions it is not so there is union between the head and the members yet all the members do not touch the head the Foot is at a great distance from the head though it be united to it all the parts of the building are united to the foundation yet they are not all contiguous to it there is apposition but no contiguity But now the Union which I am upon is so immediate that every Believer touches Christ as it were and lies close and near to him Which yet is not to be taken of any * Omnis physicus contactus excludendus est Zanch. in cap. 5. ad Eph. p. 242. Physical or Local Contact but only of that which is Moral and Spiritual not of any immodietas suppositi but only of that immedietas virtutis or unionis which is through the Spirit and Faith Lastly 'T is an indissoluble Vnion The knot therein is tied so fast that it shall never he again untied or loosened Christ and Believers are so firmly joyned together that none shall ever be able to part them all the powers of Hell with all their united strength shall never be able to disjoyn or separate one Soul from Christ As no * Non obstat unioni huic intercapedo locorum five distantia Coeli Terrae quâ Christus quâ homo fideles peregrè ab ipso versantes disterminantur Quia unio non est existentia corporis Christi intra corpora nostra nec locali contactu aut inclosione constat Alting Explic. Catech. Part. 2. Qu 76. p. 266. distance of place doth hinder the Union so no force or violence from Devils or men shall ever be able to dissolve the Union And herein lies the peculiar transcendent blessedness of this Union above all other Unions They all may cease be broken and come to nothing the members may be separated from the head and the head from the members the tender Husband may and shall be parted from the affectionate Wife the building may be broken off from the foundation the Soul may be divided from the Body But the Mystical Union stands fast forever Christ and a gracious Soul can never be separated God hath joyned them and * Mat. 19.6 what he hath joyned together no man shall ever put asunder There are two abiding things in the Saints their Vnction and their Vnion Their Vnction abides But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you 1 Joh. 2.27 and their Vnion abides for it follows and ye shall abide in him Our Apostle makes his Challenge in the close of this Chapter who shall separate us from the Love of Christ he tells you none should ever be able to do it v. 38 39 so who shall separate us as to our Union with Christ none shall none can Possibly the influences of it for some time may be suspended but yet the Union it self is not nay cannot be dissolved As it was in the Hypostatical Union for a time there was a suspending of the comforting influences of the Divine Nature to the Humane insomuch that our Saviour cried out * My God Mat. 27.46 My God why hast thou forsaken me yet for all this the Union between the two Natures was not in the least abolished So here in the Mystical Vnion the sensible effects comforts benefits of which may sometimes be kept in and not appear but yet the thing it self abides and so shall abide firm and inviolable forever 'T is an inseparable an insuperable Vnion Yea Death it self though that be the bane of all other Unions shall never reach this so as to put an end or period to it And thus I have finished the Heads necessary to be spoken to for the opening of this admirable and blessed Vnion In the clearing of which I have given you the Explication of the Subject of the Proposition There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus I must not dismiss so excellent so useful a Point without some practical improvement of it VSE 1. Of Examination whether we be in Christ And first are they and they only the persons to whom there is No Condemnation such as are in Christ Jesus I would then put all of you upon the most serious Examination whether you be thus in Christ Jesus Pray bring it down to your selves and ask your selves one by one this question Am I in Christ some are so in him am I one of them what is this Mystical Vnion to me It concerns you to be very inquisitive about this because the grand priviledge in the Text depends upon it You cannot safely apply No Condemnation if it be No Vnion If you desire a solid foundation to build upon for exemption from Condemnation you must make sure of this Vnion the happiness and safety of your future state wholly depends upon your present being in Christ O that you would be perswaded with the greatest diligence faithfulness impartiality to search and examine your selves about this The Apostle is very smart upon it 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove you own selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you and you in him except you be reprobates and say I except you be liable to eternal condemnation Two Distinctions concerning Vnion with Christ Now that I may help you in this great Enquiry viz whether your have that very Vnion with Christ which will effectually secure you from this most dreadful Condemnation I must first distinguish about it 1. Union with Christ is either Material and Natural or Spiritual and Supernatural There is a Material or Natural Union with Christ consisting in oneness with him in respect of one of his Natures For he having assumed the nature of man and hypostatically united it to the Godhead upon this wherever the nature of man is there is Union
also so to walk even as he walked Many will be saying they are in Christ pretending to Union with him I but do they walk as he walked do they live the Life of Jesus do they conform to his example He that doth not thus do he may say he abides in Christ but he doth but say so 't is not so in truth and reality 3. Take but one place more Joh. 15.2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit As this Text holds forth a twofold Vnion 'twixt Christ and men so it was spoke to but even now I am only now to consider it as it may be improv'd for tryal Some are in Christ but 't is not by real insition but only by external profession and Church-membership which will avail them but little for notwithstanding this they are cast forth as dead branches and gathered and cast into the fire and burnt as you see ver 6. and all this befalls them because they bear no fruit Others are in Christ in a saving and special way which is the thing to be enquired after For the finding out of which let me ask you what fruit doth grow upon you are you so in Christ as to be fruitful then you are in Christ indeed He will have no dead barren branches in him for that would reflect dishonour upon the Root All who are united to him shall bring forth fruit * Joh. 15.5.8 much fruit good fruit fruits meet for repentance Matth. 3.8 fruits of righteousness Phil. 1.11 fruitfulness in every good work Col. 1.10 And if so O how many empty barren professors are declared to be out of Christ by this Evidence Thus I have shown both from the double bond of the Vnion and also from some notable trying Scriptures how you may know whether you be really internally specially in Christ Jesus so as that you may with well-grounded confidence lay hold upon the Non-Condemnation here pronounced to such So much for the first Vse VSE 2. Exhortation to get this Vnion with Christ The Second shall be to exhort you all to endeavour to get into Christ O that you would with the greatest diligence make out after this blessed Union What can be so desirable as it what so worthy of your endeavours as to be one with Christ to have a Soul so nearly so inseperably knit to him what a great thing is this It was exceeding high in Paul's eye * Philip. 3.8 9. who counted all things but loss for Christ c. wherein why that he might be found in Christ i. e. be in him as his Head Root Surety City of Refuge c. for the expression admits of these several illustrations though I think the last is most proper Now did he thus highly esteem and value this being in Christ and shall we slight and make little of it Surely my Brethren 't is better not to be at all then to be and yet not to be in Christ better no Union 'twixt Soul and Body then to have that and yet no Union of the Soul with Christ Here 's No Condemnation but for whom only for them who are in Christ to such there 's no condemnation to others there 's nothing but condemnation as hath been often said doth it not highly concern all therefore to endeavour to be one of them who are in Christ To enforce the Exhortation I 'le give you but one Motive but that will be a very comprehensive and considerable one 'T is this Union with Christ is the foundation of all Good by and from Christ 'T is the fundamental blessing I mean with respect to application there can be no application of what Christ hath purchased without antecedent Vnion with his Person 't is the very basis upon which all is built the leading blessing the inlet to all the grace of the Gospel the ground of all communion and communication Ah Sinner thou canst hope for nothing from Christ unless thou beest in Christ without Christ and without hope go together Eph. 2.12 I say Vnion is the foundation of all Communion So 't is in Nature so 't is in Grace too * 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption mark it 't is first in Christ Jesus and then he is wisdom righteousness c. As it was with Christ in his Manhood first that did participate of the Gratia Vnionis in its being united to the Godhead and then after this all other grace was poured out upon it So 't is with the believing Soul 't is first taken into Union with Christ and then upon that all blessings priviledges benefits are conveyed to it You know the member receives nothing from the head unless it be united to it so 't is with the branches in reference to the root and so here without union with Christ there 's no justification no pardon no reconciliation no adoption no salvation by him for 't is a most certain truth omnis communio fundatur in unione If you be one with Christ and in him all is yours 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. All things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's Here 's a vast propriety and possession but 't is all founded upon Vnion we being Christ's so God is ours the promises are ours heaven is ours life death c. all is ours As the Wife upon the conjugal Vnion hath a right and title to all that her Husband hath so as that she may say Vbi tu Caius ibi ego Caia a proverbial speech used among the Romans at their Marriages so the Believer being joyned and married to Christ all that Christ is or hath becomes his but without this Union there 's nothing to be expected by him or from him It pleases God to deal altogether with men according to their union and according to the head which bears them now there are two publick Heads to one of which every man and woman in the world doth belong these are the two Adams of whom you read 1 Cor. 15.45 There 's the first Adam and all the unregenerate Seed are united to him as their head and upon their union with this head they derive nothing but guilt and wrath and condemnation Then there 's the second Adam Christ Jesus and all the regenerate Seed are united to him as their head and he by vertue of union also communicates pardon of sin peace with God justification eternal life c. Both of these Adams and publick Heads proceed by the Law and upon the terms of Vnion for * Sicut per peccatum Adami non potuissemus peccatores fieri nisi fuissemus in ejus lu â—bis ita per justitiam Christi non-possâ—mus
5.8 If any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith You are Christ's * Joh. 13.1 own of his house and kindred nearly related to him nay members of himself and therefore certainly he will provide for you And that he will do in all your concerns whether outward or inward that look as you must * 1 Cor. 6.20 glorifie God in you body and in your spirit for both are Gods so Christ will supply you in your bodies in your spirits for both are his Death shall not hurt them 5. Are you in Christ then you have no reason to be afraid of Death Though it be * Job 18.4 the King of terrours of all terribles the most terrible yet as to you there 's no cause of fear why because it can never dissolve the union that is betwixt Christ and you and so long as that abides death can never do you much hurt Hear me thou sincere Christian do'st thou live thou art in Christ do'st thou dye thou art in Christ neither life nor death therefore shall be hurtful to thee Nay 't is so far from that that death it self shall be thy advantage To me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil 1.21 You read of dying in the Lord Rev. 14.13 of sleeping in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 the Saints dye their bodies are thrown into the grave that vast repository yet there they are united to Christ yea their very dust is so This Death cuts asunder all other knots but it cannot do so to the mystical knot it dissolves the union 'twixt soul and body 'twixt husband and wife c. but it shall never dissolve the union betwixt Christ and the believing Soul When the body of a Child of God shall be no better than a rotten carkass Christ will say O yet this very carkass is precious to me for 't is in union with me * Psal 102.14 David speaks of the Saints favouring the dust of Zion the very dust of dead Believers is valued by Christ insomuch that he will not lose the least atome of it They shall certainly rise again 6. Are you in Christ Here 's matter of Comfort as to the certainty of an happy resurrection Your bodies may be lock'd up in the grave for a time but Christ who hath the key of the grave they being united to him will certainly open it and take them out he will raise them up again and that with advantage too for they shall then * Phil. 3.21 be fashioned like to his own glorious body The head is risen and the members shall rise also by virtue of the union that is betwixt them Quod praecessit in capite sequetur in corpore as Austine speaks 1 Cor. 15.20 Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you So Joh. 6.54 Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day And this is not to be limited to a bare resurrection there is more in it than so for * Dan. 12.2 1 Cor. 15.22 all shall arise the resurrection shall be general and universal But yet there will be a vast difference in it 't will be an happy resurrection to them who are in Christ but a dreadful resurrection to others The wicked shall be raised by Christ as a judge in order to their tryal and the passing of the sentence of death upon them but the Saints shall be raised by Christ as an head virtute unionis in order to the receiving of the blessed sentence of life Joh. 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation How should Believers rejoyce in this Great is the love of the Father to them 7. Are you in Christ then great is the Fathers love to you Take Believers as they are in themselves the Father greatly loves them but now as they are in Christ and made one with him there 's an additional love an higher love belonging to them from the Father because they are so near to his own Son Therefore upon this union God loves them with the same love wherewith he loves Jesus Christ himself Joh. 17.23 I in them and thou in me c. that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me O Believers what a love hath the Father for you upon this And Christ's own love too is very great to you for you are his flesh and * Eph. 5.29 30. no man ever hated his own flesh yea he told his Disciples * Joh. 15.9 As my Father hath loved me so have I loved you So near an union must needs be accompanied with a very dear affection 't is not always so with us but as to Christ the strength of the affection from him shall always be answerable to the nearness of the union with him They shall persevere 8. Are you in Christ Jesus Here 's Comfort as to your perseverance stability and fixedness in the state of grace This upon which all depends a Child of God may be fully assured of for will Christ lose a member a part of himself shall one united to him finally and totally fall away from him no that shall not be So long as the union is firm and indissoluble do not fear I speak not against the duty of fear but the sin of fear 'T is not here in and out in to day and out to morrow but 't is once in Christ and ever in Christ there 's your safety Indeed the Saints stand firm upon several great foundations as the Fathers election the * Heb. 6.17 immutability of his council the tenour of the Covenant c. but this also must be taken in their inseperable union with Christ You are not only in Christ's hands out of which none shall pluck you Joh. 10.28 but you are in Christ as your head and who shall be able to sever the members from this head If Christ should lose a member he would be imperfect as an head you are * Eph. 1.23 his fulness as hath been said now he will be Christus plenus a full Christ as * Aug. in Ps 36. he speaks which he would not be if any of his members should be taken away from him If he might lose one he might then lose another and another and so he would be sure of none O your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 therefore 't is sure and
Nature in the Soul that too may have its place here very properly for Spirit being set in opposition to the Flesh which is the depraved Nature it must have some reference to that other Nature which is opposite to this And * Spiritus sumitur pro animo regenerato per Spiritum Pareus Per spiritum intelligit novitatem Naturae effectam per regenerationem Spiritus vitiositate naturali emendatâ Piscat Vocat Carnem universam hominis naturam ut quae corrupta exciderit à priftinâ dignitate cui opponitur Spiritus eadem viz. instaurata per Spiritum Dei Beza Interpreters generally so open it 't is best therefore I say to take in both these notions of the word Spirit The natural and philosophical notion of Flesh and Spirit is Body and Soul though yet some Philosophers sometimes speak of them in a somewhat different and more restrained sense For Spirit they make to be as the whole Soul in general so sometimes only the highest part of the Soul viz. the intellectual and discursive Faculty in compliance with whom or rather with the * Vide Drussum in 1 Thes 5.23 Jewish Writers in their Nephesh Ruach and Nesama Paul seems so to use the word * 1 Thes 5.23 I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless c. And as to Flesh that they make to be not onely the Body it self but also the sensitive Soul that part which is void of and sets it self against Reason and refuses to be subject to the Laws and Dictates of the rational faculty Thus the * For this see Salmas in Epicl Simplic p. 116. c. Platonists and Stoicks do frequently make use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flesh onely they differ about the diversity of the Faculty where 't is seated from the reasonable faculty Now though Flesh and Spirit in the Text contain in them something higher than what this philosophical notion of them reaches yet 't is not altogether to be rejected and therefore in this discourse it will accordingly be made use of What it is to walk after the Spirit Now I come to answer the Question What is it to walk after the Spirit In general 't is to walk in the way of Spirit The Flesh hath its way and the Spirit hath its way the way of the Flesh is sin wickedness rebellion against God c. the way of the Spirit is holiness obedience righteousness c. He then that walks in the way of Sin he walks after the Flesh and he that walks in the way of Holiness he walks after the Spirit for the walking is according to the way that men go in So again To walk after the Spirit 't is to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit the Spirit hath its fruits such as Love Joy c. Gal. 5.22 and the Flesh hath its fruits several of which are recited Gal. 5.19 where the fruits of the Spirit fill up the life there 't is walking after the Spirit and so è contra as to the Flesh In short as to the general opening of it To walk after the Spirit 't is to live the holy and the spiritual life 't is to have Gods Spirit and to act in compliance with and obedience to it and 't is too to have the Divine Nature in the Soul to follow the motions and dictates of that Nature and to live in the exercise of the several Graces which grow upon that root I could very much enlarge upon this General Description but I shall chuse rather to explain the thing particularly under these Five Heads To walk after the Spirit 't is 1. To have the Spirit to be the principle of acting 2. To have the Spirit to be the guide of life and to follow its guidance 3. To have those affections which are proper to and suit with the Spirit 4. To live under and to close with holy inclinations and propensions to what is good 5. To act for spiritual Ends. Here I instance in more particulars than I did in the opening of the Walking after the flesh but they are as applicable to that as to this and they being contraries the One will illustrate the Other I. To walk after the Spirit 't is for a person to be acted by the Spirit or to act from the Spirit as his principle That is the principle as hath been said which acts a man or from which he acts when the Spirit is this to a person so that he lives and acts by its vital quickening agency and working in him then he may be said to walk after or according to the Spirit You heard before a man walks after the flesh when the flesh is his principle and so he walks after the spirit when the spirit is his principle This is applicable to the Spirit in both of the respects which have been mentioned As 1. take it personally the Holy Spirit is in Believers as the spring and principle of their obedience and holy actings In a sober sense all others I dread and detest that which acts and animates the Saints in their course it is Gods own Spirit he is not barely in them but he is in them as a lively and active principle to actuate their Graces to quicken and excite them to all holy and spiritual acts This is a part of that walking in the spirit which you read of Gal. 5.25 If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit as if the Apostle had said if the Spirit hath been a quickening spirit to us and hath wrought a supernatural life in us then let us walk in the Spirit that is let us all along live and act by this Spirit as our great principle Such as are in Christ they pray mortifie sin are heavenly minded love God deny themselves c. now in all these acti agunt they act as they are acted from above the Spirit on his part stirs them up to what is good and gives out his influences to them in what is good and they on their part fall in with his exciting and assisting grace in opposition to all the interposures of the flesh and so they walk after the Spirit Then 2. take the Spirit habitually for Grace or the sanctified Nature in the heart this is a secondary or subordinate principle the principium Quod as the former is principium Quo from which spiritual acts do proceed You have the Apostle speaking to this double principle Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me there 's the supreme and first principle and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God there 's the subordinate and secondary principle Faith and Love those two great branches of that general root which I am upon make all the several wheels in a gracious heart to move that which is done in the life comes from
maledictione carni suae interim securè indulgens Ut ergo frustra blanditur c. Calvin Non satis est Christum ore profiteri oportet Fide per opera esfioaci Christo ahhaerere quod fit non Carnis sed Spiritus ductum sequendo in vitâ Observa secundò quòd connexam esse docet Justificationis Sanctificationis Gratiam adeò ut divelli nequeant ut frustra de priore glorietur qui posteriorem non habeat Qui igitur habâ—nas laxant carni testantur se in Christo non esse c. Hinc refutatur trita Papistarum Calumnia c. Atqui docemus cum Apostolo non esse in Christo nisi qui secundum Spiritum ambulant qui carni indulgent eos inanem Fidem profiteri c. Pareus Sunt cohaerentes quidem c. Beza this very place say that which might be enough to all ingenuous men to obviate these Calumnies But let this pass Give me leave onely in the General to vindicate our Faith in this matter and to shew that what we believe herein is not at all repugnant to this or to any other Scripture For do we hold that Believers are exempted from condemnation and shall most certainly be sav'd upon their being in Christ though they live a sinful carnal wicked life how often have our Opposers been told that we detest and abhor such an Opinion We say indeed that sanctification holiness or walking after the Spirit are not the meritorious causes of Non-condemnation that honour we give to the alone merits of our Saviour yet withall we say that whoever hath an interest in such blessedness he is a sanctified person and he must and shall live an holy life Is not this enough as much as what the Word will bear us out in Can we not be for Walking after the Spirit unless we make it to be a Cause of our justification or can we not hold imputed righteousness but we must deny inherent righteousness are these two inconsistent Our Adversaries asperse us as if we denied the latter which we do not but what may we say of them who do most certainly deny the former To go on Do not we set inherent righteousness as high as they bate but perfection and merit the First of which would make it impossible in this life as the Other would derogate from the freeness of God's grace and the fullness of Christ's merit And we appeal to the world do our Censurers with their principles live more holily than Protestants with theirs we wish we could see it Nay take the whole model and platform of their Doctrine and of ours and let the would judge which doth most tend to the * See Dr. Stillingslees of the Idolatry of the Church of Rome Chap. 3. p. 178. promoting of a strict and holy conversation Indeed if we give way to the flesh and walk after the flesh we are to be blamed for our practices but the principles of our Religion are strict holy and good In short we are for the same things which They contend for and that too in the highest measures and degrees so far as the infirmities of the present state will admit of but not upon the same grounds We are for the spiritual life as the fruit and evidence of the Vnion and as always attending the person who is in Christ and shall not be condemned but we dare not make it to be the meritorious ground or to have any causal influence upon the one or the other If this will not satisfie let our revilers revile on 3. There are but Iew who are in Christ 3. If this be the way and course of such who are in Christ that they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit it informs us then that there are but few who are in Christ or who have any interest in the Mystical Vnion I would not streighten or narrow the Grace of God or the happiness of the Creature further than the word it self doth but on the other hand I must not make them wider than that doth The most it is to be feared are out of Christ because the most do walk after the flesh 't is but here and there some few who walk after the spirit Instead of walking not after the flesh but after the spirit the generality of men walk after the flesh and not after the spirit they are in the flesh there 's their state and they walk after the flesh there 's their course O that this was not as evident as the light of the noon day This Flesh as you have heard is either the corrupt Nature in the general or more particularly 't is the corrupt Nature venting it self in and about fleshly and sensual things now in both respects how do fleshly Walkers abound As to the First what an unholy sinful life do the most live how doth the depraved Nature break forth and show it self in their whole course this is that which acts them all along by which they steer and order their conversation And as to the Second look upon the greatest number of men how sensual are they they lie tumbling and wallowing in the mire of Lust are even immers'd and swallowed up in fleshly things minding nothing so much as the pleasing of the flesh Go to them at their Tables there 's gluttony excess in eating and drinking they pamper the body whilst they starve the soul Mind them in their pursuits 't is some fleshly good they mainly drive at some fleshly interest by which they steer their course what do they most consult but the Fleshes ease and interest O that 's the thing which they make provision for that they may fulfil the lusts thereof which the Apostle so expresly forbids Rom. 13.14 their forecasts projects contrivances are for the Flesh yea all their thoughts are imployed as so many caterers or purveyours for their sensual lusts is not this walking after the flesh and is not this more or less the Walk of the most Alas as to that walking after the spirit which hath been opened how few are there that know any thing of it the generality are wholly strangers to it understanding the Angelical life in Heaven as well as the spiritual holy life of Saints here upon earth you can scarce make them believe that there is such a life so far are they from the living of it Thus 't is with the multitude and is not this then too clear an evidence too full a demonstration of the paucity of such as are in Christ O that we could bewail and lament it what more plain than that such who are in Christ do walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and what more plain too than that the body of men do walk after the Flesh and not after the Spirit Sirs let us not flatter and think too well of our selves * Ut eos omnes intelligamus esse exclusos qui Fidem Evangelium jactitant cum interim volutentur in
should be uttered by the heart of man Sinner do'st thou know what thou saist pray thee make a little pause be persuaded to consider what thou do'st is this spoken in good or rather in bad earnest do'st thou resolve upon it wilt thou stick to it ô then thou art a meer vassal thou putt'st thy self under the reign of the worst Tyrant in all the world from this day forward thou must carry chains and fetters about thee from this act of thine Sins reign commences therefore if it be not yet done let it never be done if it be done let it be rescinded speedily but I forget my self The lowest act of the Will in order to the constituting of this Law of Sin is Election or Choice there 's Good and Evil Holiness and Sin set before the Soul and it chooses the evil before the good this is a sad evidence of Sins power Isa 65.12 but did evil before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not Isa 66.3 4 c. they have chosen their own ways and their Soul delighteth in their abominations c. But though I say that this is the lowest act of the Will in Sins being a Law yet even this is enough to put a person under that Law The godly man chooses the way of Holiness Psal 119.30 I have chosen the way of truth the Sinner chooses the way of Sin this he prefers before the Other Now should there be nothing more than this choice supposing it to be deliberate full and peremptory that would be enough to evince Sins dominion for wherever it hath the preference it hath the power But there are higher acts of the Will than this which do more highly constitute and more fully demonstrate the Law of Sin and which are to be found onely in the Vnregenerate As namely when the Will doth not meerly choose embrace prefer Sin before Holiness but 't is pertinaciously set for Sin its full purpose and resolution is for Sin against Holiness the Sinner says he hath sinn'd and so he will do still he 's fixed and obstinate in his wickedness instead of cleaving to the Lord with full purpose of heart as Barnabas exhorted the Christians at Antioch to do Acts 11.23 he cleaves to Sin with full purpose of heart Jer. 2.25 I have loved strangers and after them I will go Jer. 8.5 They hold fast deceipt they refuse to return Jer. 44.16 As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken to thee but we will certainly do whatsoever goeth out of our own mouth c. Now wherever it comes to this that Sin is thus enthron'd in the Will there most certainly 't is the Law of Sin But I must yet go one step further there is one act of the Will higher than this too viz when the heart is wholly set for Sin and is not onely resolvedly but also impetuously carried out after it Eccles 8.11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil Jer. 50 38. They are mad upon their idols Eph. 4.19 Who being past feeling have given themselves ever unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Jer. 8.6 Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel Here the power of Sin rises high indeed when the Will doth not barely consent to it but 't is eager and fierce for it ô this speaks not onely its own great wickedness and most woful depravation but also the Sinners full subjection to Sin this is the Law of Sin with a witness where 't is thus it may easily be known who bears Rule in the Soul Sin never arrives at this heighth of power in the Regenerate this is altogether inconsistent with Grace upon Conversion the Will is sanctified and the sanctified Will can never carry it thus towards Sin You see what that is in the interiour faculties of the Soul which doth constitute and evidence the Law of Sin in unregenerate persons I might instance also in the exteriour parts of the Body for though Sins power doth mainly reside and put forth it self in the Former yet it reaches to these also therefore the Apostle brings them in upon this account Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies c. 13. neither yield you your members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin c. 19. As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness c. When the Body is prostituted to Sins drudgery the several parts thereof imploy'd in its service as the Eyes to let in external Objects for the exciting and feeding of Lust within the Feet to run on Sins errands the Tongue to utter vanity and frothiness c this is a great demonstration of a mans being under the Law of Sin 'T is true it chiefly reigns in the Heart there 's its imperial Seat or the Pallace where it hath its imperial residence that 's the inward Citadel where its main strength doth lie but yet from thence it issues out its Laws and Edicts to the Body also and that is its out ward Fort or Territory where it hath a great strength and command also Indeed the Law of Sin is best discerned as to Others by its venting of it self in and through the Body for so long as Sin keeps in its power within the interiour Faculties of the Soul 't is known onely to the Sinner himself but when that once breaks out in Sins committed in and by the body as intemperance drunkenness uncleanness c. then it becomes discernible to all to whom such Sins shall be known And though 't is certain that Sin may have its full dominion in the heart without the external eruptions of it in the Life in gross and corporeal acts yet where they are added they infallibly discover that Sin lords and domineers O therefore how evident is it that all who abuse and defile their bodies who use them as instruments for Sin and wear them out in its service are most perfectly under the Law of Sin But 't is not thus with any who are truely sanctified Sin hath not the command of their Bodies they * Rom. 6.19 yield up their members servants to righteousness unto holiness they look upon their Bodies as the * 1 Cor. 6.19 Temples of the Holy Ghost and accordingly they keep them holy they know they are themselves * 1 Cor. 6.20 bought with a price and that their Souls and Bodies are both Gods and therefore both to be imploy'd in the glorifying of God they scorn to let their Bodies be drudges to Sin and Satan and in this respect they are not under the Law of Sin 3. Thirdly the Law of Sin and its different workings in the people of God and Others may be opened by the modification of the act of Sin As 1. Where Sin is committed industriously and designedly there 't is the
Ministers Christians reprove him yet hee 'l sin let him resolve purpose vow promise covenant yet hee 'l sin tell him of Heaven or Hell that hee 'l waste his Estate impair his Health undoe his Family ruin his Body nay his precious Soul 't is all one yet hee 'l sin come Plague Pestilence War Fire yet hee 'l sin set the Law of Scripture before him yet hee 'l sin nay as to some acts set the very Law of Nature before him yet hee 'l sin here 's the Law of Sin to some purpose the power and strength of Sin in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet all graceless and Christless Souls are under this though not all in the same way or in the same degree But Sin never rises thus high in Gods people they are more easily stopt and kept off from sinning against God you know the stream in a Flood runs very fiercely and will not be stopt by any opposition it teares and breaks the banks which would give a check to it but let the Flood be but over and then it comes to it self again and its motion is not so boisterous and impetuous so 't is with the true Christian possibly in some single act under some strong temptation upon some fit of passion he may break thorough all that lies in his way as a let or hinderance to him in sin but when the sudden gush of Corruption and the power of the temptation are a little over he comes to himself again and then the Word and Spirit do easily stop him in what is evil 4. When 't is sinning and no sense of sin no after-repentance for it then 't is the Law of Sin and that power of it which is onely in the unconverted Sin always rules most where 't is least felt but it never arrives at the highest pitch of dominion where the Soul groans under it as its burden As it was with Paul the corrupt Nature was too powerful in him but he was very sensible of it he cry'd out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Thus too it is with all gracious Souls they may have much of sin in them yea it may be so strong in them as that in some particular acts they may be overcome by it yet 't is but peccatum vincens non regnans Sin conquering not commanding because they are greatly humbled in the sense of this and because they ever recover themselves again by true repentance ô how do they mourn and grieve over Corruption especially when it hath been too hard for them if you read of Davids sins you shall also read of Davids tears Now when 't is thus 't is never the Law of Sin Sin bewailed is never Sin reigning but when a man sins insensibly and impenitently there 's no after-shame or after-grief in him for sin no rising again after falling verily in this man 't is the Law of Sin But so much for the answering of this Question and also for the Explication of the Point in hand VSE For Information In the applying of it there is but one Vse which I shall insist upon and that shall be for Information Is it thus that every person before regeneration is under the Law of Sin it informs us of two things 1. Of the bondage of the Natural state 2. Of the power efficacy necessity of restraining and renewing Grace 1. Branch of Information concerning the bondage of the Vnregenerate 1. Here 's a sad demonstration of that bondage which attends the Natural State and those who are in it Such being under the Law of Sin and that importing what you have heard it doth hence it follows that they are under bondage the very worst bondage and thraldom that is imaginable This Sinners will not believe nor lay it to heart but so it is they being Sins Subjects and governed by its Laws they are no better than Slaves and Vassals for so all its Subjects are We pity those who live under Tyrants Vsurpers hard Masters c. and judge their bondage to be very great but alas what is that if compar'd with this of graceless Souls living under the tyranny usurpation dominion of Sin O poor Creature art thou out of Christ unsanctified and unregenerate and consequently acted ruled governed by Sin know thy self thou art in a spiritual sense no better than a slave yea there 's no servitude or vassalage in the world comparable to thine the poor Christians who are Captives and Bondmen under the barbarous Turks or such who are condemn'd to Mines and Galleys are in a better condition than thou who art under the power of thy base Lusts The state of Nature is a quite other thing than what men imagin it to be they think there 's nothing but freedom and liberty in it such who are in it fancy none live so free and happy a Life as themselves but God knows 't is quite otherwise while they promise themselves liberty they are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage as the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 2.19 There are very many sad attendants upon Vnregeneracy as blindness darkness death enmity distance and alienation from God c. but none worse than the spiritual bondage which accompanies it I add too there 's none of all these which Sinners are with more difficulty convinced of and more hardly brought to believe than that which I am upon We see it in the Jews Joh. 8.33 We be Abraham 's seed and never were in bondage to any man how saist thou we shall be made free never in bondage to any man that was false were they not once in bondage in Egypt which therefore was called the house of bondage Exod. 20.2 where they were under hard bondage Exod. 1.14 were they not again in bondage in Babylon yea were they not now in bondage under the Romans but this not being the bondage which Christ aimed at he passed by this their vaunting of their exemption from it and fell upon their spiritual bondage whith respect to which he told them whasoever commits sin is the servant of sin So go to many now and tell them they are under servitude they will not believe it what they in such a condition no they are so and so descended such and such is their birth and parentage they have such noble blood running in their veins they live in the enjoyment of such priviledges have so many under them at their beck whilst they themselves are commanded by none they can go and come and do as they * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch Mor. p. 35. list being free from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein the Stoicks placed bondage and yet are they Slaves Yes notwithstanding all this they may be so and are so if Sin hath the rule and regency over them they have all liberty but that which is the best and are exempted from
tell us that some of our Kings who had the worst Titles made the best Laws and indeed they had need use their power well who get it ill But now Sin doth not only usurp that power which of right belongs not to it but it also manages its power very wickedly particularly with respect to the Laws which it makes and imposes upon its Subjects ô 't is sad living under its government The Philosopher tells us that the intention of the Legislator is to make his Subjects good certainly 't is either so or it should be so but when Sin gets upon the throne and assumes a legislative Authority to it self its intention is only to make its Subjects bad for the worse they are the better they suit with it 'T is a blessed thing to live under the Rule of Christ because of the holiness purity goodness of his Laws but 't is a woful thing to live under the Rule of Sin because its Laws are quite contrary hellish and wicked for here it holds true like Lord like Law Nay the Laws of Men I do not say all have real goodness in them so far as they are founded upon * Lex est nihil aliud nisi recta à Numine Deorum Ratio imperans honesta prohi◠ens contraria profectò ita se res habet ut quoniain vitiorum emendatricem Legem esse oportet commendatricemque virtutum ab eâ vivendi doctrina petatur Cicero de Legib. l. 1. Reason and designed for good Ends viz. to excite persons to what is good and to restrain them from what is evil and so far 't is the happiness of any to live under them and their duty readily and cheerfully to comply with them But 't is not thus with the Laws of Sin inasmuch as they are always contrary to right and sound Reason and always tend to what is evil which therefore so far as any man is subject to he must needs be miserable 'T is commonly said Ex malis moribus bonae Leges bad manners sometimes produce good Laws but bad Laws especially when they are written in the heart and are the principle of action as the Laws of Sin are can never produce good manners if Sin make the Law I know what will be the Life Further this Sin is not onely out of measure sinful in the exercise of its power where it is uppermost but 't is also out of measure tyrannical There have been too many Tyrants in the World but never was there such an one as Sin all the Nero's Caligula's Domitians c. that ever lived were nothing to it this first acted the part of a Tyrant in them before they acted the part of Tyrants over others The tyranny of Sin appears in many things I 'le instance in a Few 1. Its Commands are innumerable there 's no end of its Laws and * In corruptissimâ Republicâ plurimae Leges Tacit. multiplicity of Laws always speaks either a bad people or a bad Prince 2. Its Commands are contrary one Law thwarts another the poor Sinner under its dominion is haled contrary ways that he scarce knows whether to go or what to do Lust clashes with Lust one draws one way and another another so that the poor inslaved Soul is at a loss and knows not how to please all Tit. 3.3 serving divers Lusts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divers for their Number and divers for their Nature and Kind also O quam multos habet Dominos qui unum non habet how many Lords and Masters hath he who hath not Christ onely for his Lord 3. 'T is very rigorous in its demands it must have full Obedience or none at all Eph. 2.3 fulfilling the Lusts of the flesh partial and half-Obedience will neither satisfie an holy God nor an unholy Nature and as God for whom the All is too little so Sin too for which the least is too much is for the doing of all it requires 4. Its Commands are never at an end Let the poor bondman sin to day he must sin again to morrow and so on in infinitum yea the more he doth in obedience to it the more it grows upon him in its Commands just as Tyrants and hard Masters use to do 5. When Sin once gets upon the throne 't is so imperious and cruel that its Vassals must stick at nothing Be the thing never so base the costs and hazards never so great yet if Sin calls for the doing of it it must be done Sinners you must waste you Estates blast your Credit impair your Health destroy your Bodies damn your Souls you must part with God peace of Conscience Heaven it self you must quit all that is good and venture all that is bad in its service and in compliance with its Edicts ô what an imperious insolent insatiable thing is Sin here 's the Tyrant indeed both in Titulo and also in Exercitio And now is not the poor unregenerate Sinner very miserable who lives under such a Tyrant is not his bondage exceeding great who that is not highly besotted would be willing to continue under Sins power that may be brought under the holy gracious excellent government of the Lord Jesus 3. Thirdly the Evil of this bondage arising from the Law of sin appears from its principal Subject 't is a Soul-bondage Of all Evils Soul evils are the worst Soul-famin is the worst famin Soul-death the worst death Soul-plagues the worst plagues and so here Soul-bondage is the worst bondage The bondage of Israel in Egypt was very evil yet not comparable to this which I am upon because that was but corporal and external but this is spiritual and internal when the best part is inslav'd that must needs be the worst slavery There may be a servile condition without and yet a free and generous Soul within as * Errat siquis existimat servitutem in totum hominem descendere pars melior ejus excepta est corpora obnoxia sunt adscripta Dominis mens sui juris est c. Sen. de Benef. l. 3. c. 20. Seneca observes of Servants but if the Soul it self be under servitude then the whole man the very top of man all is in servitude Sin is of so proud and aspiring a nature that no place will serve it for its pallace or principal Seat but the very Soul ô there it delights to have its residence and to exercise its dominion And this is its subtilty as well as its pride for it knows if it can but rule the Soul that then the Soul will easily rule the Body as the main Fort within the Town being gained that will with ease command all the outward Forts And 't is the whole Soul too that Sin must have God who made it will have the whole Heart and Sin which designs to enslave it will have the whole Heart too 't is not satisfied with this or that Faculty but all must be subject to it it must reign in the Vnderstanding
be told there 's poyson in it and that if he drinks it he 's a dead man ô the stupendious folly nay madness of men we tell them from Gods own mouth there 's death at the bottom of sinful practises and yet because these suit with and please their sensual part they will venture upon them The fear of temporal death to be inflicted by the Magistrate keeps off many from those enormous acts which otherwise they would commit they dare not thus and thus transgress the Law by stealing killing c. though they have a good mind to it why because they know if they so do they must dye Ah Sinner God backs his Laws with the penalty of eternal death to which thou makest thy self liable by the violation of them and yet wilt thou dare to do it shall the fear of this not at all restrain thee from what is evil Here 's the Devils cunning in his temptations he presents the bait but hides the hook he tempts from and by the pleasure delight contentment that is in sin but conceals the death that will follow upon it nay he doth not onely conceal the evil threatned but either in thesi or in hypothesi he flatly denies it This lying Spirit will tell the Sinner he may sin without danger what dye for it no there 's no such thing thou shalt not dye Thus he began in his first assault upon our first Parents Gen. 3.4 And the serpent said to the woman ye shall not surely dye and thus he doth with Sinners to this very day He always sharpens his temptations by blunting the edge of the Laws threatning assuring the poor besotted Creature that he may sin and yet not dye Now I beseech you do not hearken to him or believe him for he is what he always was a lyar and so a murderer Joh. 8.44 Let the temptation be never so inviting and alluring yet 'pray consider * 2 Kings 4.40 death is in the pot and therefore there is no meddling with it let the enticements of Sin be never so specious and plausible yet know nothing less than eternal death will inevitably follow upon it and doth not the evil of that infinitely weigh down all the good which Sin promises Sin is the falsest thing in all the world its promises are very fair but its performances are quite contrary it pretends to this and that which takes with the Sinner exceedingly but the very upshot and end of all is everlasting destruction Suppose it be as good as its word as to some temporal concerns yet alas its good is soon over and gone but its bad abides forever the pleasant taste of its hony in the mouth is but short but its gall lies fretting in the bowels to all eternity now what madness is it for a man for a few minutes delight to run himself into everlasting and endless torments 'T is one of the saddest things that is imaginable that men do and cannot but know that 't is Sin and Death and yet in a stâ—â—nge defiance of God and in a bold contemning of all that he threatens yea even of eternal death it self they will venture upon Sin Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not onely do the same but have pleasure in them that do them But surely did they but know and consider what this death is they would not carry it thus I cannot now enter upon any particular description of it onely let me tell them what there is in it the absence of all good the presence of all evil is not this enough that in short 't is the summary and abridgment of all that misery which the Humane Nature is capable of and should not such a thing make a poor Creature tremble As to this death the Sinner would fain dye but cannot he must live though he be dead even whilst he lives at the * Mors prima pellit animam nolentem de corpore mors secunda detinet animam nolentem in corpore Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 21. c. 3. first death the Body and Soul are loth to part but in the second death they would fain part if they might but the just God will keep them together that as they sinn'd together so they shall suffer together What a sad meeting will there be 'twixt these two at the general Resurrection when they shall be reunited onely in order to their being eternally miserable Now do not Sinners tremble at this do they not dread that which will bring all this upon them if not what can we further say or do As to you dearly Beloved I hope you are not given up to a reprobate mind to this desperate hardness of heart to make nothing of dying eternally 'pray therefore * Psal 4.4 stand in awe and sin not do not dare to live in that for which you must dye and perish forever let Sin dye that you may never dye for it must be either its death or yours If you live sin you love death and is death a thing to be lov'd Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own Soul all they that hate me love death Methinks that 's a very sad description of the carriage of the poor amorous Wanton under the enchantments of the whorish Woman Prov. 7.21 22 23. With much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him He goeth after her straightway as an oxe goeth to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks Till a dart strike thorow his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Sirs will you carry it thus under Sins enchantments not considering that it aims at your life and exposes you to eternal death A fool sees but a little way but a wise man looks to the issues and consequences of things you know what I mean Simply to dye is not so much but to dye eternally ô that 's a formidable thing as you would shun that shun sin for itâ— house is the way to Hell going down to the chambers of death Proverbs 7.27 VSE 2. Comfort to all Regenerate Persons 2. Let the people of God see their happiness and take the comfort of it You that by the power of the regenerating Spirit are made free from the Law of Sin know that upon this you are also made free from the Law of death ô precious and admirable mercy what a cordial is this to revive you under all your faintings As to temporal death you are not wholly exempted from it that 's common to you as well as to others yet 't is a quite other thing to you than what it is to others ô whenever it shall come bid it welcome and do not * Non est formidandum quod liberat nos ab omni formidando Tertull. Ejus est mortem timere qui ad Christum nollet
ire Cypr. fear it For to you 't will come without a sting and you know the Serpent that hath lost its sting may hiss but cannot hurt 't is in it self an enemy and the * 1 Cor. 15.26 last enemy but to you 't is an harmless because a conquer'd enemy it may seem to threaten the greatest evil but in truth it shall do you the greatest good But here lies your main happiness you are wholly exempted from eternal death the second death you shall dye but once and then live with God forever 'T is this second death that makes the first to be so formidable for a man to dye that he may live that 's not at all dreadful but to dye here in order to a worser death hereafter there 's the thing which is only dreadful When death is but an inlet to eternal life a departure to be * Phill. 1.23 with Christ when there 's no condemnation to follow after it you may and you should meet it with joy and holy triumph And know that to you it shall not be bare freedome from eternal death but it shall also be the possession of eternal life there 's very much in the privative part of the mercy but when the positive part too is joined with it how high doth it rise ô admire and adore the Grace of God! The least of your sins deserves death the best of your duties doth not deserve life and yet you are freed from that which you so much deserve and shall be put into the possession of that which you so little deserve here 's the riches of the grace of God towards you Sin and Death are the two * Peccatum mors sunt duae partes adaequatae humanae miseriae nam in culpâ poenâ tota miseria hominis consistit Streso comprehensive evils all evil is summ'd up in and under them but you are freed from both what reason have you to rejoice and to admire the Lords boundless goodness ô the damned in hell who are under this death and feel it what would they give to be freed from it You through the merit of Christ and the power of the Spirit are made free from it therefore you should first be very thankeful and then very chearful What great things hath the gracious God done for you he hath delivered you from the Rule of sin whilst you live from the hurt of death when you dye have not you abundant cause of blessing and rejoicing 'T will not be long before this Death will look you in the face and lay its cold hands upon you 't is every minute making its nearer approaches to you by every breath you draw it gets ground upon you well be not troubled at this you know the worst on 't 't is death but not damnation 't is the parting of the Soul from the Body but no parting of the Soul from God 't is but dying temporally that you may live eternally how great is your happiness proportionable to which how great should your thankefulness and holy joy be So much for this Verse ROM 8.3 4. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit CHAP. IX Of the Laws inability to justify save High and glorious Matter contained in these two Verses Of their Coherence with what went before The difference amongst Expositors about that The General sense and meaning of the Words The various Readings and Explications of them They are divided into Five Parts There 's a Complication in them of the several Causes of the Sinners Justification and Salvation The First Branch of the Text insisted upon What the Law c. Four things observed in it Of its Literal Exposition What is here meant by Law What that was which the Law could not do How 't is said to be weak What the Flesh is by which 't is weakened The whole matter drawn into one Observation Of the Special matter of the Laws impotency as it refers to Justification and Salvation Three Grounds or Demonstrations of its impotency 1. It requires more than what the fal'n Creature can perform 2. It doth not give what the fal'n Creature needs 3. It cannot make reparation for what the fal'n Creature bath done Use 1. To humble us because we have a Nature in us by which Gods own Law is thus weakened where some thing is said against the Power of Nature Use 2. First To vindicate the Honor of the Law notwithstanding the Weakness charg'd upon it Secondly The Laws Obligation not to be cast off because of this Thirdly Nor yet is it to be look'd upon as altogether weak or useless Use 3. To take men off from expecting Righteousness and Life from and by the Law Use 4. To stir up Believers to adore the Love and Mercy of God in sending his Son when the Law was under an utter inability to justifie and save High and glorious things contained in these Verses OUr Apostle here Eagle-like soar's aloft and rises up in his discourse to the most sublime truths of the Gospel These two Verses set things before us so high and glorious as may fill Heaven and Earth Angels and Men with amazement and astonishment Here 's the whole Gospel sum'd up in a few words contracted and brought into a narrow compass here 's in one view Man undone and Man recover'd the depths of the Creatures misery and the heights of Gods Mercy in a short abridgement Here 's Gods sending his Son which surely was the greatest thing that ever he did it being the highest contrivance of his infinite Wisdom and the highest product of his infinite Love Here 's this Son sent in our flesh the first and the great Mystery of the Gospel for it comes in the front of the Gospel-Mysteries 1 Tim. 3.16 Here 's sin condemn'd and the Sinner acquitted the Law represented as impossible for us to keep yet fulfilled for us in a most strange and wonderful manner as Christ hath done and suffered that for us which we were utterly unable to do and suffer our selves O the * Eph. 3.18 bredths lengths depths heights of the Wisdom Mercy Justice Holiness of God! for all these several Attributes in what is here set forth do concur and shine forth in their greatest lustre Who can hear or read these two Verses with due consideration and not be in a divine transport and extasie for the truth is whatever is short of the most raised workings in the Soul is too low for the glorious things here spoken of The Coherence of them with what goes before We must first enquire into their Coherence or Connexion with what goes before They are a further proof or confirmation of the main Proposition laid down in the first
Holiness c. He that will undertake to redeem Sinners must have all these for they all were indispensably requisite to such an undertaking the Lord Jesus had them all and that too in an eminent and extraordinary measure as I might easily shew at large never did any meer Creature arrive at that pitch of Wisdom Power Holiness c. which he did therefore none so fit to be sent as he 3. 'T was grounded upon his Sonship and neer relation to God Who so fit to make others the adopted sons of God as he who was himself the Natural Son of God 4. Vpon the glory and dignity of his Person He was the image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 the express image of his Fathers Person Heb. 1.3 Now who so fit to restore Man to God's image as that Man who was the essential image of God 5. Christ's admirable and transcendent fitness was grounded upon his threefold Office as he was King Priest and Prophet For hereupon he was and is fit to deal both with God and Man he 's a Friest to deal with God a King and Prophet to deal with Man Doth God stand upon Satisfaction Christ is a Priest to die and to offer up himself an expiatory Sacrifice or will God keep his distance from the Creature and be known in his greatness Christ is a Priest to mediate and intercede Then is the Sinner under ignorance and darkness Christ is a Prophet to inlighten and teach or is he under the tyranny of sin and a rebel against God Christ is King to rescue subdue and conquer him to himself to bring and keep him under his own dominion and government To sum up all there are but two things to be done for the Sinner in order to his happiness viz. impetration and application now both of these are done by Christ's threefold Office By the first part of his Priestly Office his Oblation there wâ—s the impetration for by that he procured purchased merited all good by the second part of his Priestly Office his intercession there 's the application And because both God and the Creature are to be dealt withal in order to this application therefore Christ doth accordingly deal with both of them with God he deals in the way of prayer or intercession for God because of his Majesty and Soveraignty will be treated in this manner with the Creature he deals in the way of power partly by dispelling the darkness of the mind which he doth as Prophet and partly by taking off the rebellion of the Will and bringing the stubborn Sinner under a ready subjection to God which he doth as King Which things being done all that Christ hath purchased is now made over and actually applyed to the Creature Upon the Whole then it follows that Christ being invested with these Offices which are every way so full of so great virtue so suited to the Nature and demands of God and the condition of the Sinner he must needs be by many degrees the fittest-Person to be sent by God Before I go off from this Head I desire One thing may be taken notice of It must be granted that the sending of Christ was praevious and antecedent to several of the Things which have been mentioned as the demonstrations of his superlative fitness to be sent and the grounds of his being sent Yet nevertheless they may be alledged and made use of in that notion because though in our apprehension if not also in the Nature of the Thing they were after the sending yet in the eye and estimation of God they were before it For instance Christ just at his sending had not then assumed the Humane Nature we suppose that to antecede his incarnation yet God judged him a person fit to be sent because of that Nature And so he might very well for though the incarnation as considered in it self was future yet as to the knowledge consideration estimation of God it was present and done already I thought it necessary to put in this for the preventing of an Objection which might arise in the thoughts of Some upon the reading of what hath been laid down 4. Fourthly God therefore sent Christ not only because he was the fittest Person to be sent but because indeed he was the only Person that could be sent for none but he could effect or accomplish Man's Redemption If God will be so gracious as to send 't was not only convenient but necessary that he should send this very person his own Son for there was none Other in heaven or earth that could go through an undertaking of this nature There were Evils to be indured which were above the strength of any meer Creature to indure there were Evils to be removed the Wrath of God the Guilt of Sin the Curse of the Law which no meer Creature was able to remove there were also Blessings to be procured as Reconciliation with God Justification Adoption eternal Salvation which no such Creature possibly could procure O no! therefore Christ himself must come or nothing can be done Why did not God send an Angel rather than his Son why because he knew Redemption-work was no work for an Angel no not for the whole body of Angels If the whole Order of them had come from heaven and combined all their strength together they could not have redeemed so much as One Soul I dispute not how far God by his mighty power might have enabled an Angel to have bore up under the greatest sufferings Suppose he might have had such a strength as to have been able to undergo all that Christ did yet under the highest communications of the grace of God to him he being still a meer Creature could never satisfie for what was past not merit for what was to come he could neither expiate sin nor procure eternal Life No these are things which could only be accomplished by Him who was more than a meer finite or created being even by the Lord Jesus who was Man but God too wherefore he 's the Person whom the Father will send And he very well understood himself in what he did if the work had been possible to have been effected by any Creature God would have employd that Creature and spar'd his own Son nothing but absolute necessity made him to fix upon this course So much for the Reasons why God sent his Son which we poor dim-sighted creatures do but in a manner guess at but he himself understands them fully As * Acts 15.18 all his works are known to him so also the special reasons of all his works are known to him and eminently those which he went upon in this his highest and greatest work When we come to heaven we shall more fully know why Christ was sent but here our knowledge is very dark and imperfect about it I have done with the three Things which I propounded to open and so have dispatch'd the Doctrinal part I am now to make some practical
hard as that the power of the Son of God cannot effect it and what can be so high as that the Obedience of the Son of God cannot merit it Had Christ been only the Son of Man then indeed Faith could not have bore up with such confidence but he being the Son of God also and having the Nature Essence Attributes of God how may Faith triumph as to the efficacy and meritoriousness of his obedience 'T was the blood of God which he shed Acts 20.28 O what a greatness and * Superest ut poena illa Fidejussoris nostri pretio dignitate atque merito foret infinita id quod allter fieri non potuit quam si Persona patiens foret ipsa infinita Nam ut Pèccati c. Vid. Thes Salmur de Christo Mediat parte 1. th 13. p. 246. infiniteness of Merit must needs result from the greatness and infiniteness of such a Person Heb. 9.13 14. If the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the Flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the Living God 4. You may go boldly to the throne of Grace upon all occasions For you have God's own Son to lead you thither and to make way for you and not only so but this own Son improves all his interest in and with the Father for your good why are you afraid to go to God Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God c. let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need 5. You need not in the least question the prevalency of Christ's intercession Doth Christ intercede and shall he not prevail will not the Father hear such a Son Suppose he may deny you which he will not yet surely he will not deny his own and onely Son Christ upon this relation may ask any thing and he shall have it mark the connexion Psal 2.7 I will declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee what follows now upon this why Vers 8. Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession God thinks nothing too much for this Son when he asks it of him and 't is the same when he asks for you as when he asks for himself therefore fear not but that your Prayers shall be graciously answered Christ himself interceding for you when the Kings own Son carrys the Petition doubtless it shall be granted 6. This is the Person to whom you are mystically united and therefore his Glory and Greatness reflects a Glory and Greatness upon you You are in Christ not only as he is the Son of Man but as he is the Son of God also for the Vnion is terminated not in this or that Nature but in the whole Person the Apostle therefore takes special notice of this 1 Joh. 5.20 We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ O to be in this Son there 's the glory and safety of a believer I have done with this high and most Evangelical Truth The Lord Jesus is God's own Son upon which I have been somewhat large partly because of the excellency of the Argument it self and partly because of the great opposition made against it 2 Joh. 3. Grace be with you mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in truth and love ROM 8.3 c. In the likeness of sinful Flesh CHAP. XII Of Christ's Incarnation and abasement in Flesh A Fourth General in the Words handled Why the Apostle is so express in the further adding of these Words to the former Five things laid down for the explication of them Flesh not taken here in the same sense with Flesh in what went before A double Synecdoche in the word Flesh Christ did not bring Flesh from Heaven with him but assum'd it here on Earth His sending in Flesh was not his taking a meer humane shape c. Likeness to be joyn'd not with Flesh but with sinful Flesh Two Propositions rais'd from the Words Of the First that Christ was sent in Flesh What his sending in Flesh imports this opened more strictly and more largely Of Marcion and Others who denied the verity of Christ's Incarnation and Body That proved as to both as also the verity of his whole Manhood Of his having a true Soul Of his submitting to the common adjuncts and infirmities of Flesh How the Humane Nature in Christ and in us differ His Incarnation not impossible not incredible The Reasons of it 1. That the Old-Testament Prophecies Promises Types might thereby receive their accomplishment 2. That Christ might be qualified for his Office as Mediator and the work of Redemption 3. Because it was the fittest and the best way in order to the redeeming of man Seven Propositions laid down for the due stating and opening of Christ's Incarnation As 1. That Christ who before was the eternal Son of God and had a praevious existence was made Flesh this made good against the SOCINIANS 2. That the Second Person only was incarnate 3. That this was not done till the fulness of time 4. That 't was not the divine Essence absolutely considered which assumed Flesh but that Essence considered as subsisting in the Second Person 5. That the Nature assuming was the Divine Nature 6. That the Humane Nature was so assum'd as to subsist in the Divine and that both of these Natures make but one Person where the Hypostatical Union is opened and prov'd 7. 'T is probable that if Adam had not fallen Christ had not been sent in the Flesh Of the Second Proposition That Christ was sent in the likeness yet but in the likeness of sinful Flesh Of the Sanctity of Christ's Humane Nature The Grounds thereof Use 1. To inform 1. Of the excellency of the Gospel and of the Christian Religion As also 2. Of the excellency of Christ's Flesh or Manhood Use 2. Wherein several Duty 's are urged upon Christians as namely 1. To give a full and firm assent to the Truth of Christ's Incarnation and also firmly to adhere to Christ as having assumed our Flesh where something is spoken against those who make little of a Christ in Flesh but are all for a Christ within 2. To be much in the study and contemplation of Christ incarnate 3. To adore the Mystery it self and also the Father and the Son in the Mystery 4. To endeavour after the powerful influence of it
1 Cor. 1.29 and so the word is frequently used there to represent the whole manhood of Christ so Joh. 1.14 1 Tim. 3.16 Heb. 10.20 1 Pet. 3.18 passim When therefore 't is said God sent his Son in Flesh you are thus to conceive of it that Christ did not only take Flesh but that with it he took the whole Nature of Man that he was as truly so compleatly Man consisting of Flesh and Spirit Body and Soul yea that he assumed the entire Humane Nature with what-ever is proper to it two things only being excepted of which by and by In this extent and latitude you are here to take the word Flesh a part being put for the whole 3. Although it be said God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh yet we must distinguish between the Mission the Incarnation They differ in their Order Christ being first sent and then incarnate as also in the place where each was done for the mission was above but the incarnation was here below This I take notice of that I may the better clear up that ambiguity which seems to be in the expression which some among the Antients not understanding aright runn'd themselves upon very erroneous Opinions For it being said that God sent his own Son in the likenss of sinful Flesh they from hence inferr'd that Christ came from Heaven actually clothed with Flesh that his Body was immediately created there and that from thence he brought it down with him hither and to take in another of their * The first broachers of which were Apollinaris Valentinus c. Of and against whom see Najanz ad Nectarium Athan. de Incarn Christi tom 1. p. 619. 1083. Haeresy's that it was of such a nature as that it only pass'd through the Virgins womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as water through a pipe or as light through a glass But you are not to give way to these apprehensions the true meaning of the Words being this Christ was sent in the likeness of Flesh not that he had it before he was on earth but it was his Father's Will for the fulfilling of which he sent him that he should descend and here below assume Flesh so that though the Apostle expresses it by being sent in the likeness c. yet his meaning is rather to or for or in order to the likeness of sinful flesh this was not done before-hand just at his sending but this was to be subsequent upon it in its proper time and place And Earth was that place where this stupendious mystery of a Christ incarnate did commence there was the attiring House where he put on his mean and mourning dress 't was in the Virgin where his Body was so curiously and so wonderfully wrought When he ascended he carried up his Body from Earth to Heaven but when he descended he did not bring down his Body from Heaven to Earth the foundation of his being incarnate was laid above in the purpose and command of the Father with respect to which he 's said to be sent in the likeness c. but his actual assumption of Flesh was done here below True he saith Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven and Joh. 6.62 What if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before but this you are to understand as spoken only upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communication of Properties that being here attributed to Christ in one Nature as the Son of man which was only proper to him in the other as the Son of God 'T is also said of him that the second man is the Lord from heaven 1 Cor. 15.47 but that you are to take not as referring to the matter and substance of his body as if he brought that from heaven but only as pointing to his descent from heaven and the miraculous formation of his body here on earth And whereas Some speak as you heard of Christ's Body being immediately created and but passing through the Virgin as water through a pipe the falsity of that Opinion is very notorious for the Scripture plainly tells us that it was produc'd in another way that he was conceiv'd and born of the Virgin that the production of his substance was of Hers though in an extraordinary manner therefore 't is said Mat. 1.18 she was found with child of the holy Ghost and Vers 20. that which is conceiv'd in her is of the Holy Ghost and Luke 1.35 that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God and Elizabeth speaks of Christ as the fruit of her womb Luk. 1.42 and Paul sayes he was made of a woman Gal. 4.4 not made in a woman but of a woman From all which Texts two things are evident Of these things reade Tertull. in his excellent Treatise de Carne Christi p. 374. 1. that though the formation of Christ's Flesh was extraordinary and miraculous yet it was not immediately created especially not in heaven 2. that the Virgin Mary had a proper causality in the production of Christ's Body and therefore was not a meer pipe through which it did only pass 4. This sending of Christ in the likeness c. was not his assuming of a meer humane shape or his apparition only in the shape and form of a man but it was the real assumption of the humane Nature consisting of Soul and Body There 's a vast difference betwixt Christ's incarnation such apparitions as those which we have instances of in the Old Testament and that too not only with respect to the appanitions of Angels but also of Christ himself for it might easily be proved that 't was he who appear'd to Abraham Gen. 18.13 14 17. to Jacob Gen. 32.24 to Moses Exod. 3.2 compar'd with Acts 7.30 c. 35. But now his incarnation was a quite other thing for in that there was not the taking of man's shape but of man's nature not the taking of it so as to lay it down again after a short time as was in apparitions but so as to keep it and continue in it for ever The Apostle cry's out 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the Flesh c. but had there been in that nothing more than a meer apparition of Christ in Flesh or in humane shape the thing had not been so strange that he should make such a mystery of it for he knew this was very common therefore there must be more in it than so To convince us of the truth and reality of Christ's Flesh in opposition to all phantasms and meer apparitions the Scripture speaks of him not only as appearing Mal. 3.2 Who shall stand when he appeareth 2 Tim. 1.10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ c. Heb. 9.26 Once in the end of
8.24 Weariness Joh. 4.6 Jesus being wearied with his journey c. He was conceived retained so long in the Virgins womb ‖ Marcion ut carnem Christi negaret negavit etiam nativitatem aut ut nativitatem negaret negavit et Carnem scilicet ne invicem sibi testimonium redderent responderent Nativitas Caro quia nec nativitas sine carne nec caro sine nativitate Tertull. de Carne Christi P. 358. born circumcis'd liv'd about thirty years on earth convers'd all that time with men suffered died was crucified buried rose again ascended sat down with his body at the right hand of God with it will come again to judge the world Doth not all this speak him to have a true body could all this be done in and upon and by an imaginary body Had it been only such then his Conception Nativity Death Resurrection Ascension are all too but imaginary things his Sufferings * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. de Incarn p. 1083. Haec quomodo in illo vera erant si ipse non fuit verus Si non verè habuit in se quod figeretur quod moreretur quod sepeliretur resuscitaretur Carnem scilicet sanguine suffusam ossibus structam nervis intextam venis implexam quae nasci mori novit Tertull. de Carn Christi p. 361. Crucifixion but meer fancies and what then would become of us then all our †Falsa est fides nostra phantasma crit totum quod speramus a Christo Tertull Ibid. Faith Hope yea all our Religion would vanish into a meer fancy also When Satan had him in the Wilderness and was tempting of him he thus assaulted him Matth. 4.3 If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread and Vers 6. If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down now what an absurd ridiculous thing had it been for Satan thus to have tempted Christ supposing that he had only had a phantastick body what need would there have been of food for such a body or what hurt could such a body have received by falling from the highest pinacle Nay further as * Scelestissime hominum qui interemtores excusas Dei Nihil enim ab eis passus est Christus si nihil verè est passus Parce unicae spei totius orbis quid destruis necessarium dedecus fidei Tertull. Tertullian argues what evil did his Murderers do in the crucifying of him if he had not a true body for without that he could not have truly suffered they then would have been excus'd he suffering nothing at all by their means The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a symbol and representation of his body 1 Cor. 11.24 This is my body which is broken for you c. now what a pitiful thing would this Sacramental representation thereof be if in it self it was not a true body divers such Considerations might be insisted upon if it was necessary So much for Christ's Flesh in its stricter notion Of the Verity of Christ's Manhood I come now in the Second place to consider it in its more large and extensive notion So Christ was sent in Flesh that is in the verity of man's nature he verily took upon him the whole Humane nature became true Man of the same make and substance with us in all things like to us some things excepted which do not in the least abolish or destroy the truth of his manhood He 's called the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 Since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15.21 He was made in the likeness of men Phil. 2.7 He 's stiled the Son of man Dan. 7.13 Joh. 3.13 the seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 the seed of Abraham Gen. 22.18 the seed of David Rom. 1.3 the son of David Matth. 1.1 the branch of David Jer. 23.5 he 's said to be of the fruit of his loins Acts 2.30 The two essential or constitutive parts of Man are Soul and Body Of his having a true Soul where these two are there 's the true man Christ had both therefore he was such That he had a real body hath been already proved I am only now to shew that he also had a real * Vide Aquin Sum. 3. p. Quest 5. Art 3. Suscepit non solum corpus humanum ut quidam putant sed animam nostrarum animarum similem per Naturam August de Incarn Verbi Dei tom 4. lib. 2. p. 243. Soul And indeed the former proves the latter for if Christ would assume the body which is but in a manner the bark shell or case of man but the lowest and meanest part of him but as the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nemes de Nat. Hom. c. 3. p. 94. covering and garment of the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Jews call it certainly he would assume the Soul the reasonable Soul that being the highest and the noblest part This is that which principally makes the Man and hath the greatest influence into his Being and Essence if therefore our Lord had only had an humane Body without an humane Soul he had wanted that part which is most essential to man and so could not have been look'd upon as true and perfect man but 't was far otherwise For indeed Christ * Hâ—c Deus in nobis salvavit quod pro nobis suscepit illam Naturam participem fecit salutis quam sibi conjunxit Fulgent ad Trasimund c. redeem'd and sav'd nothing but what he assum'd the Redemption and Salvation reach no farther than the assumption our Soul then would have been never the better for Christ had he not taken that as well as our body for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Najanzene expresses it if he will save the whole man from sin he must †Totum hominem sine peccato suscepit ut totum quo constabat homo à peccatorum pesâ—â— sanaret August de Civit. Dei lib. 10. ca. 17. Si totum debuerat liberare pietas totum debuit suscipere divina Majestas Totius ergo fuit hominis à Deo suscipienda Natura quoniam in toto fuit captivitas captivanda c. Fulgent ad Trasimund de Mysterio Mediat assume the whole man without sin 'T is said of him Luk. 2.52 he increased in wisdom and stature here 's stature for his Body and wisdom for his Soul his growth in that speaks the truth of the former and his growth in this speaks the truth of the latter his body properly could not grow in wisdom nor his soul in stature therefore there must be both There are three things in a reasonable Soul Vnderstanding Will Affections now 't is evident all these were in Christ He had an humane Vnderstanding distinct from his Divine Vnderstanding otherwise how could he have been said to increase in wisdom and how could he have been under the nescience of
some things as 't is plain he was for he knew not the * Vide Najanz Orat. 36. p. 588. precise time of the day of judgment Mark 13.32 as he was God he knew all things so his Vnderstanding was infinite he must therefore have some other Vnderstanding which was but finite in reference to which there might be something which he did not know He also had an humane Will distinct from his Divine Will for what could that Will be which he did submit and subordinate to the Will of his Father but this Luk. 22.42 Nevertheless not my Will but thine be don Then for those Affections which are proper to the Soul 't is clear Christ had them as namely Anger Mar. 3.5 Mar. 10.14 Love Mat. 10.21 Sorrow Mat. 26.38 Luk. 19.41 Fear Heb. 5.7 Joy Luk. 10 21. Joh. 11.15 Pity Mat. 9.36 Mat. 13.32 Now where these three things are most certainly there is a true and real Soul Yet here also our blessed Lord and Saviour is assaulted he hath two Natures which make up his Person his Deity and his Humanity but both of them by several persons are taken away as you heard but now and there are two Essential parts which make up one of his Natures his Manhood viz. Soul and Body but both of these too by several persons are taken away also Marcion divests him of a Body and * See Epiphan vol. 1. p. 743 771. Apollinaris of a Soul the Arrians also are charged with this Heresie these held that Christ had no Soul but that the ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. lib. 5 contra Haeres cap. 11. Deity was to him instead of a Soul and supply'd the office thereof that what the Soul is to us and doth in our bodies all that the Divine Nature was to Christ and did in his Body O what light can be clear enough for their Conviction and guidance in the way of truth whom God hath given up to †2 Thes 2.11 strong delusions that they should believe lies Are not the Scriptures clear enough in this matter that Christ had a real Soul what was the subject of his inexpressible sorrow and agonies in the Garden but his Soul Matth. 26.38 My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death c. Joh. 12.27 Now is my Soul troubled and what shall I say what did he in special recommend to God when he was breathing out his last gasp but his Soul Luk. 23.46 When Jesus had cryed with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost what was the part affected in his sore desertion when he cry'd out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me surely his Body could not be the immediate subject of a punishment purely spiritual no that must terminate in his spiritual part the Soul By all this it appears then that Christ was as truly God so also truly Man he having a true Body and a true Soul Yet a little further that I may take in the whole truth Of Christ's submitting to the common Adjuncts c. of the Humane Nature and leave out nothing which may tend to the heightning of Christ's incomparable Love and condescension to Sinners he was not barely sent in Flesh so far as the verity of the Humane Nature is concern'd in his assuming the Essential parts thereof but he also submitted to the common accidents adjuncts infirmities miseries calamities which are incident to that Nature He lay so many Weeks and Months in the Virgins womb received nourishment and growth in the ordinary way was brought forth and bred up just as common Infants are ' bating some special respects shown to him to discover the greatness of his Person had his life sustain'd by common food as ours is was hungry thirsty weary poor reproached tempted deserted c. liv'd an afflicted life then dy'd a miserable death was a * Isal 53.3 man of sorrows and acquainted with grief †Phil. 2.7 made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a Servant was made in the likeness of man not only in the taking of their Nature but also in submitting to those abasements and miseries which now that Nature is lyable unto his whole life was a life of sufferings wherein as there was enough in his Holiness * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr Expos Fidei Miracles to shew him to be God so there was also enough in his meanness poverty sufferings to shew him to be Man In a word he took all our infirmities upon him take it with a double restriction 1. To all our †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascen de Orthod Fid. l. 3. c. 20. sinless infirmities such as are culpable and carry sin in them they must be excepted for though he was made like to us in all things yet without sin Heb. 4.15 2. To all our Natural infirmities as to personal infirmities such as are proper to this and that Person as blindness deafness lameness c. these Christ did not put himself under for he did not assume this or that Person but the Nature in common and therefore was not lyable to the particular infirmities of Individuums How the Humane Nature in Christ and in us differs but only to those which properly belonged to the common Nature I would carry this a little higher though I have said so much concerning the reality and sameness of Christ's Humane Nature with ours yet you are not in all respects to equalize that Nature as 't is in him and as 't is in us for Substance and Essence 't is one and the same in both yet in other considerations there 's a great disparity for 1. The Humane Nature is solely and singly in us in Christ 't is conjunctly with the Divine 2. We have it in the way of common and ordinary generation Christ had it in a special and extraordinary way 3. 'T is tainted and defil'd in us in Christ 't is perfectly pure and holy 4. In us it hath its proper subsistence in Christ it subsists only in his Godhead Thus I have shewn what this sending of Christ in the Flesh is and what it imports viz. the truth of his Incarnation of his Body and his assumption of the whole entire and perfect Nature of Man and also as the several Heads fell in my way I have out of the Word given you the proof of them I say out of the Word for these Mysteries are only to be known and believed upon the light and authority thereof if it asserts them that certainly must be sufficient to command the belief of Christians who profess in all things to make the Scriptures to be the Rule of their Faith And as to the credibility of Christ's incarnation from rational Considerations in subserviency to and grounded upon Gospel-revelation sundry * Tertull. de Carne Christi Deo nihil impossibile nisi quod non vult
that being suppos'd to be modest and rectified yet 't is infinitely above it There are several unions in Nature but all come short of this there 's no resemblance in the whole compass of Nature that doth exactly reach it Some I know speak of a * See Mr. Perkins on Galat. p. 273. plant which hath no root of its own only it grows and is sustain'd by a tree of another kind by which they would shadow out the subsistence of the Humane Nature of Christ in the Divine Others tell us the union of the * Yet there is a disparity in the union of these two in Man and of the two Natures in Christ Of which seè Dr. Jackson on the Creed 7th B. p. 333. Soul and Body in Man is of all resemblances the most fully expressive of this Vnion Now 't is granted these or some other such-like resemblances may hold forth something of it but alas 't is but something they go but a little way their discoveries are as imperfect as those which some Travellers make of the World who when they have seen and said all they can do yet leave a vast terra incognita undiscovered Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh c. Christ's incarnation hath the precedency before all the other mysteries which are there mentioned about him if that in it self be such a mystery how must the mystery thereof be heightned the Hypostatical Vnion being taken in and added to it The Mystical Vnion is very mysterious the Hypostatical Vnion much more Well therefore might I in the Proposition thus lay it down that the uniting of the Humane Nature in Christ to the Divine is done in a most mysterious and unconceivable manner Well! upon the due weighing of that which hath been said it concerns me with all tenderness and humility to treat of this Argument and to fetch in all the light and direction that ever I may for I shall need it all from the Word and Spirit The Hypostatical Vnion opened in some Particulars 'T is not a common or ordinary Vnion but special and extraordinary 1. I desire that this in the General may be taken notice of that the Hypostatical Vnion is no common or ordinary Vnion but that which is special and extraordinary O 't is an Union by it self that which is of a very different and peculiar nature from all other Vnions Of which there is great diversity for instance there 's an Union by apposition as in the several parts of a building by mixtion as in the several Elements in a compound body by alteration as when water is turned into wine there is a Natural Vnion as in the Soul and Body in man a Moral Vnion as betwixt Friend and Friend a Relative Vnion as betwixt Husband and Wife a Mystical Vnion as betwixt Christ and Believers an Vnion in respect of special presence or inhabitation of special assistance of special grace and favour which was all that Nestorius would grant in the Vnion of Christ's Divine Nature with his Humane but most falsely * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athan de Inc. Verbi Dei p. 593. for then there would be no more for substance in the Hypostatical Vnion then what there is in that which belongs to all Believers Christ being in these respects united also to them though in a lower degree Now some of these Vnions are not at all applicable to Christ such as are so do yet come short of that high and glorious Vnion that is betwixt his Godhead and his Manhood alas take the highest of them what is it when compar'd with the Hypostatical Vnion You 'l ask me why or what is there in that more than in them let the following head be observed and there will be the Solution of this Question I add therefore The two great things wherei◠it consists 2. The two Natures are so united in Christ as that the Humane doth subsist in the Divine and that both do make up but one Person Herein lies the formal nature of the Hypostatical Vnion that wherein it differs from and transcends all other Vnions whatsoever the explication of this therefore I must a little insist upon Of the Subsistence of the Humane Nature in the Divine 1. First the conjunction of the two Natures in Christ is so near as that the Godhead imparts subsistence to the Manhood for the Manhood as 't is in Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having no subsistence but what it hath in the Personality of the eternal Word so it subsists and no otherwise And here 's one great difference 'twixt the Humane Nature as in us and as in Christ in us it hath its proper personality and subsistence in Christ it hath not so But how comes this about take an answer to that from a * Estwick against B. p. 113 Judicious Divine It 's true saith he the essential parts of a man's Body and Soul being united would have constituted a Person as they do in all other men if they had been left to themselves but it was prevented and stayd from subsisting in it self and was drawn into the Unity of the second Person by Divine and supernatural operation whereby it was highly advanced and subsists in a more eminent sort than it could have done if it had become a rational humane Person * Incarnatio non est qualiscunque unio sed est specialissima proxima immediatissuna unio quâ Persona divina humanam Naturam suâ Personalitate carentem it a terminat ut eam personaliter sustentet ipsique illud complementum attamen longè eminentiori modo communicet quod a suà connaturali Personalitate accepisset Bisterf contra Crell p. 568. Vid. Davenant in Colos p. 244. And this may also prevent that Objection which from hence so readily offers it self viz. that if the Humane Nature in Christ hath not a personal subsistence belonging to it then it wants that perfection which that Nature commonly hath in all Men which seems to make it less perfect and excellent in him than 't is in them This is easily answered the Consequence is not good because the want of this subsistence is compensated with advantage in that subsistence which the Manhood hath in the Godhead in which the Humane Nature subsisting 't is so far from being depress'd that 't is highly advanc'd as the Sensitive Soul in man being joyn'd with a nobler Soul and subsisting in it is thereupon more excellent than the sensitive Soul in a Beast though there it hath a subsistence distinct from and independent upon the reasonable Soul The two Natures make but one Person 2. Secondly Such is the Vnion of the Humane with the Divine Nature in Christ that 't is taken into his * Deus in aeternam personam Deitatis temporalem accepit substantiam Carnis August Duas substantias accipimus in uno Filio Dei unam Deitatis aliam
and undefiledness by sin so they did agree He says his Father had prepared him a body Heb. 10. 5. now if the holy God in such a wonderful and immediate manner for such high and glorious ends will prepare him a body to be sure it shall be an holy body and such an one as shall be proper for the attaining of those ends which only an holy body was 'T was indeed upon our account and Christ's putting himself into our stead a passible and mortal body and so far like to sinful flesh but had it not been for that it had neither suffer'd nor dy'd In the Second respect so the whole Humane Nature in Christ was * Habuit Natura Humana quam Christus suscepit speciem peccati non tamen ea revera peccato contaminari potuit P. Martyr sinless He was true and very man but not in the least sinful man he was made man for the sin of man but yet was man without the sin of man That Nature which is so sadly depraved vitiated corrupted in us in him had its primitive original purity and holiness Sin was not so essential or so inseparably twisted into it but that God knew how to separate 'twixt the Nature it self and the deordination of it Christ took the one but not the other The Humane Nature is made up of soul and body both of these in Christ were unstained not having the least macula or spot of sin cleaving to them as 't was an unpolluted undefiled body so 't was also a pure holy spotless Soul The Humane Nature too is attended with such * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. vide Oecum in loc p. 301. affections and such †Particeps factus est infirmitatis non iniquitatis Aug. Trahens de homine mortalitatem non insquitatem Id. tom 3. 〈◊〉 1072. infirmities to all of which Christ submitted so far as they were sinless but no further as to the former he had Anger Sorrow Joy Compassion Love but without the least stain or tincture of sin as to the latter he underwent hunger thirst pain c. but yet under all he was without sin he could suffer but he did not nay he could not sin Hence he 's called God's holy one Psal 16.10 the holy Child Jesus Act. 4.27 the most holy Dan. 9.27 Jesus Christ the righteous 1 Joh. 2.1 God's righteous servant Isa 53.11 He was a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.19 holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 't is said of him he did no sin 1 Pet. 2.22 he knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 he knew it in a way of imputation for he was made sin but as to any inhesion or commission so he knew it not The Apostle saith he was tempted in all things as we are yet without sin that must alwayes be excepted Heb. 4.15 he challeng'd all his enemies which of you convinceth me of sin Joh. 8.46 He says of himself he always did the things which pleas'd his Father Joh. 8.29 and now 't is said of him in him is no sin 1 Joh. 3.5 so that upon all this it appears that 't was but the likeness of sinful flesh A threefold Holiness in Christ Christ as Man had a threefold Holiness Original Habitual Actual 1. He was Originally Holy David bitterly lamented it that he was shapen in iniquity and in sin did his mother conceive him Psal 51.5 and so 't is with every man that comes into the world in the way of common generation the very foundation of our Being is laid in sin But 't was not so with out blessed Saviour in his Conception the first framing and forming of his Humane Nature there was nothing of sin for he was therefore * Haec est similitudo carnis quia cum eadem sit caro quae nostra non tamen ita facta in utero est nata ficut caro nostra Est enim sanctificata in utero nata sine peccato neque ipse in illâ peccavit Ideo enim Virginalis uterus electus est ad pattum dominicum ut in sanctitate differret caro Dommi à carne nostrâ Ambros conceived in the Virgins Womb in an extraordinary manner by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost that he might be preserv'd pure from the common pollution so the Angel told Mary Luk. 1.35 The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God 2. He was Habitually Holy there was in his Nature nothing but an universal rectitude and conformity to the rule and pattern of holiness he had therein grace all grace nothing but grace without the least mixture of habitual corruption We bring with us into the world Natures most wofully depraved such as are a very seed-plot and seminary of all evil but our Lord Jesus had a quite other Nature one that was perfectly sanctified and not in the least tainted with sin This also was brought about by his miraculous and extraordinary formation for had he been begotten as we are his Nature had bee tainted as well as ours is that which is begotten so I would read it rather than that which is born of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3.6 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14.4 The liquor will taste of the cask into which 't is put as water when it comes from the fountain may be very pure yet if it runs through a dirty pipe it will contract filth so let the Soul as it comes out of God's hands be never so pure yet upon union with the body begotten and propagated in the usual way both it and the nature of the person too will be defil'd therefore to avoid this Chirst was begotten in another way By which means he was also freed from the imputation of Adam's sin for he not descending naturally and seminally from Adam his sin was not imputed nor imputable unto him The Apostle indeed saith Heb. 2.11 Both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one i.e. of one Adam as the common root but they are not both of this one Adam in the same manner for they who are sanctified are of him and from him in a way of seminal propagation but he who sanctifieth was not so whereupon though Adam's sin be imputable and imputed to the former 't is not to the latter As according to the * Alting Theol. Problem prob 8. p. 571. Dr. Pearson on the Creed p. 365. usual illustration Levi being in the loins of Abraham paid †Heb. 7.9 10. tythes in him yet Christ who was also in the loins of Abrabam did not so all men being in the loins of Adam and carnally descended from him sinned in him and became partakers of his guilt but Christ though in some sense he might be said to be in
and in the following words was to set forth the excellency of the Gospel which he calls Godliness because its main sâ—ope and tendency is to that and how doth he do it why by the glorious mysteries held forth therein of some of which he there gives a particular enumeration As to the height and verity of which mysteries he saith Without controversie c. confessedly beyond all dispute or denial these are mysteries indeed 't is as if he had said I know the poor Heathens pretend to great and high mysteries but indeed they are so far from being high mysteries that they are no mysteries at all they being but the fancies of deluded men but saith he I 'le tell you of mysteries that are both real and sublime which are so beyond all contradiction Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness c. But how doth he make that appear he makes it out in some instances and his first instance is in the Incarnation of the Son of God Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the flesh c. O there 's a mystery indeed a transcendent mystery one which all the Gentiles cannot parallel A very Learned * Jac. Gothofredus in 1 Tim. 3.15 16. in Critic vol. 7. p. 3770. c. Author in a very learned Discourse upon this whole Verse proves that Paul therein throughout had his eye upon the Gentile-Rites Customs pretentions to mysteries c. especially upon those amongst the Greeks and amongst them especially upon those in their Eleusinia sacra which above all others were in highest repute at that time when the Apostle wrote this Epistle Now therefore against them he sets down the great mysteries of the Gospel and Christianity which certainly were infinitely to be preferred before the other The making out of this was our Apostles design according to the Opinion of the forenamed Author in every branch of the Words but I 'le go no farther than the first that only suiting with the thing I am upon And there are in it four things to prove the thing in hand 1 As to Gospel-mysteries the true God was the object of them and concern'd in them but the Gentiles in their mysteries had to do with those which by nature were no Gods which were but called Gods as they are described Gal. 4.8 1 Cor. 8.5 2. In Gospel mysteries one God only was the object of them and Christians had to do with this one and only true God but the Gentiles in their mysteries had to do with variety and multiplicity of Gods and so indeed with no God for many Gods are no God 1 Cor. 8.5 6. Though there be that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth as there be Gods many and Lords many But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him 't is God one God manifested c. 3. In Gospel mysteries there 's a God as incarnate commemorated and remembred in them in the Gentile-mysteries it was not so In them they had some notions and made some commemorations of their Gods but how only as common benefactors as giving them bread and wine and corn c but they went no higher but now Christians under the Gospel they commemorate God as taking flesh and suffering in that flesh for their good O there 's mercy indeed a mystery indeed 4. Whereas the Gentiles in their mysteries pretended such and such apparitions of their Gods in opposition to these the Apostle sets down the great and glorious appearance and manifestation of Christ He was indeed manifested in the flesh for he was so manifested in the flesh as to be made flesh his was not an appearance only but a real assumption there 's a mystery indeed In these respects the Apostle advances the mysteries of the Gospel and of the Christian Religion above those which the blind Gentiles were such admirers of in their idolatrous way Well! we who know and believe these things what high thoughts should we have of the Gospel and of the Christian Religion how should we adore and magnifie God for his infinite mercy to us in bringing of us under that revelation and that Faith wherein this unparallel'd mystery of a Christ incarnate is made known and embrac'd Of the excellency of the Flesh and Manhood of Christ 2. Secondly this further informs us of the excellency and glory of Christ's Flesh and Manhood from the premises it clearly appears that that is and needs must be superlatively great Was Christ himself sent in flesh did God's own Son assume and so assume flesh O what a lustre and glory must there be upon that flesh or body which such a person doth so assume 'T is call'd after its being glorified in him a glorious body Phil. 3.21 but 't was a glorious body long before even from the first moment of its formation and assumption 'T is true its glory whilst 't was here on earth did not shine forth in its full brightness there was a vail and covering upon it during the state of Christ's Humiliation but yet even then 't was full of glory though the fulness of its glory did not appear as the Sun is very glorious even when 't is hid under a cloud And indeed 't was requisite not only from the state of his abasement but also from the weakness of those with whom he was to converse that here he should very much keep in its glory for we see when at his transfiguration he let it break forth in a more than ordinary manner the beholders thereof could not well bear it it fill'd them with consternation read Matth. 17.1 c. But yet upon its miraculous framing its unstain'd and unspotted sanctity its neer union with the Godhead even here I say its glory was exceeding great O what a sight will it be in heaven to see this body of Christ in all its splendor and to see him in this Flesh sitting at the right hand of God! As he was at first sent in it 't was but mean in external appearance and to meer sense but now he is ascended and hath carried it up with him and 't is plac'd at the right hand of God so 't is an Object so glorious that 't is fit only for a glorify'd eye to behold And doth the Body of Christ engross all this glory hath his Soul no part or share therein yes surely it may rather be ask'd hath not that the greatest share it being the better and nobler part and capable of that of which the Body is not If God prepare so excellent a body hee 'l be sure answerably to prepare as excellent a soul to dwell in that body as they that build stately houses will put in inhabitants that shall be answerable to them Imagine a Soul untouch'd and unblemish'd with sin fully and perfectly sanctify'd fill'd with grace
to the utmost of its capacity having nothing in its several faculties but truth in the Vnderstanding holy conformity in the Will heavenliness in the affections I say represent to your selves in your thoughts such a Soul and then think what an excellent Soul would that be just such a Soul is in Christ Indeed if we consider these constitutive parts of Christ's Manhood as they stand apart and by themselves they are excellent to a very high degree but if we go further and consider them in the Hypostatick Vnion then we are at a mighty loss and cannot conceive what a glory is by that conferr'd upon them As suppose a Pearl was put into a glass of Chrystal that would put a great radiancy upon it but what if the Sun it self could be put into this glass how radiant then would it be So here the Lord Christ having so precious a Soul dwelling in his Flesh even that if there was nothing more must make it very glorious but when the Godhead it self dwells in it how unspeakable must its glory and splendor needs be Leaving the parts let me speak to the whole the whole humane nature in Christ is transcendently excellent If the essential and eternal Son of God will so far condescend as to assume Man's Nature certainly in him the Manhood must have all that dignity glory perfection that ever it was capable of and surely never was the Humane Nature so advanc'd as in Christ If you consider it as 't is in us so it hath its worth and excellency for man is yet a glorious creature though 't is too true by the loss of God's image he hath lost very much of his glory As he was at first created in the state of innocency he was high indeed by the Fall the case is sadly altered the Humane Nature now is exceedingly debas'd and depress'd but yet even in its ruins as 't was with old Carthage it may be seen what once it was much is lost and the best is lost but all is not lost the glory of the Saint is gone but the glory of the Man in a great measure yet remains He is yet as to his natural composition and indowments very excellent the top of the whole creation God's * Vid. Nyssen de Hom. opif. c. 3. p. 51. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euryphamus in Stobae Ser. c1 p. 556. Theophrastus calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as though God in him would vye with and out-vye all that he had done besides in the whole visible creation See Weems's Portrait p. 60 61. master-piece and highest workmanship endowed with a body curiously wrought with a Soul of divine original excellent in its being and operations And besides this which is general it pleases God in some to restore the Humane Nature in part to what it lost in Adam's fall to advance it again by Grace and Regeneration yea to take it up to heaven to the vision and fruition of himself And now 't is at its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here 's its non-ultra its highest advancement 't is not capable as in us of higher exaltation that what it hath by Grace and Glory This dignity and glory the Humane Nature hath in us but yet as 't is so subjected take it even at its highest elevation it comes infinitely short of the dignity and excellency of the Humane Nature of Christ the reason is because in it there 's all that hath been spoken in an eminent manner and besides which is higher than all the former it is taken into a near conjunction with the Divine Nature How glorious must that Manhood be which subsists in the Godhead and hath no subsistence but in that The nearer the Vnion is with that the greater is the perfection and glory of that which is admitted into that union And hence it is that there is such a fulness of Grace in Christ as Man over and above what is in the best of men that he is * Psal 45.7 anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellows that his Manhood bears a part in the mediatory Office that 't is to be worshipped with Divine Worship as hath been proved before I say all this belongs to it by vertue of the Hypostatical Vnion from which in all things it derives super-excellent Glory And yet I must tell you this Humane Nature as high as 't is is the lowest thing in Christ that which is the highest in us is but the lowest in him Supremum infimi infimum supremi as Man he 's glorious but what is he then as God! What a Person is Christ take him altogether O let him be adored and reverenced by you as Man but especially as he is God-man So much for Information Use 2. Exhortation to several Dutys 2. Secondly was Christ sent in flesh hence ariseth matter of Exhortation to several Duties 1. I would exhort you to give a full and firm assent to the truth of Christ's incarnation To give a full and firm assent to the truth of Christ's Incarnation as also firmly to adhere to Christ as sent in flesh Here are two things which Iâ—le speak to apart First see that you give a full and firm assent to the truth of Christ's Incarnation 'T is a thing which the Scripture layes a great stress upon 1 Joh. 4.3 Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now is it in the world 2 Joh. 7. Many deceivers are entred into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an Antichrist It seems the Incarnation of Christ met with early opposition his flesh was no sooner translated to Heaven but 't was deny'd on Earth this Apostle therefore who in his Gospel had been a great asserter of it in his Epistles will be also a zealous defender of it and see how warm he was upon it the denyal of Christ's coming and of his coming in the flesh for there lies the main emphasis he carries as high as Antichristianism and sets no lower a brand upon it Antichristianism doth not only lie in the opposing of Christ in his Offices which is the latter and modern Antichristianism but also in the opposing of him in his Natures as God and Man which was the first and ancient Antichristianism to deny Christ's Manhood and assuming flesh this is down-right Antichristian the very spirit of Antichrist if the Apostle here may be believed Now there 's a twofold denial of this one open express direct the other * Non attendamus ad linguam sed ad facta si enim omnes interrogantur omnes uno ore confitentur Jesum esse Christum quiescat paululum lingua vitam interroga Aug. in Ep. Joh. Tract 3. implicit virtual interpretative the former I hope is very rare the latter I fear is too common he
nobis est umbraculum Sacrificio suo apud Deum nos reconciliavit Zarnov de Sat. Christi p. 38. accomplishment of them 2. That he is also a true and real Sacrifice for was there reality in the Type and shall there not be the same with advantage in the Anti-type or shall they be shadows of a shadow shall there be such a shell and no kernel such a bone and no marrow in it But to go on In the old Sacrifices there were these Six things Six things in the Old Sacrifices all of which are to be found in Christs Sacrifice 1. The Person who did institute ordain and appoint the use of them who was God himself whose institution of them though it be not express'd in the Scriptures yet it may very strongly be inferr'd from them 2. The Person unto whom they were offered and he also was God himself 3. The Persons offering viz. the Priests to whom by divine appointment this work was committed and it was a great part of their work and one great end of their Office For every high Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things partaining to God that he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for sins Heb. 5.1 4. The Matter of the Sacrifice or the thing offered which was very various according to what God was pleas'd to specifie and appoint Oxen Bulls Heifers Sheep Rams Goats c. 5. The Oblation it self when the Beast was slain it was to be offered up and then part of the blood thereof was to be carried into the Holy of Holy's there to be presented before the Lord and the main stress of the * See Dr. Stillingfl against Crellius ch 5. p. 451. expiation lay not upon the representation which followed after but upon the mactation and solemn oblation of the Sacrifice 6. The Altar upon which all was to be offer'd Now answerably and in correspondency to all these 1. God instituted appointed ordained Christ to be the Sacrifice it was his will and ordination that his Son should offer up himself a propitiatory or expiatory Sacrifice Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself c. 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world c. It was as much the appointment of God that Christ the true Sacrifice should die be slain offered up as that under the Law any of those Sacrifices should be so used and as from all eternity he decreed and appointed Christ to be the Sacrifice so in time he fitted and prepared him for his being so therefore saith Christ * Heb. 10.5 But a body hast thou prepared me without which he could not have been a Sacrifice 2. Christ offered up himself to God He had to do * Grot. de Sat. Christi c. 10. p. 121. with God as he stood in the quality and respect of a Sacrifice for this was a part of his Priestly Office which primarily refers to God as King and Prophet he hath to do with us but as Priest he had to do with God that he might propitiate and atone him So 't was with the Aaronical Priests they were ordained for men in things pertaining to God Heb. 5.1 and surely so it must be too with the great Priest whom they did typifie Heb. 2.17 that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God The Apostle speaks it expresly and hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour 3. Here was the Person offering and that was Christ himself he as Mediator as God-Man was the Priest to offer up himself They under the Law had variety of Sacrifices and variety of Priests we under the Gospel have but one Sacrifice and one Priest who first offered up himself and now continues in another way to offer up our duties and services to God 4. As Christ was the Priest offering so he was the Sacrifice offered for he was both which was unusual and extraordinary The Levitical Priests and the Sacrifices which they offered were distinct they were not bound to offer themselves but our Lord Jesus was * Ut quoniam quatuor considerantur in omni Sacrificio cui offeratur à quo offeratur quid offeratur pro quibus offeratur idem ipse unus verúsque Mediator per Sacrificium pacis reconcilians nos unum cum illo maneret cui offerebatur unum in se faceret pro quibus offerebatur unus ipse esset qui offerebat quod offerebat August de Trinit Utrum Christus simul fâ—erit Sacerdos Hostia Aquin. in 3. p. Qu. 22. Art 2. Priest and Sacrifice too in his Person he was the Offerer in his humane Nature he was the thing offered 'T was necessary that he should offer something For every high Priest is ordained to offer gifts and Sacrifices wherefore it is of necessity that this man have also somewhat to offer Heb. 8.3 what then did he offer such things as had been offered before the blood of bulls and goats no he offered his own blood Heb. 9.12 his own body Heb. 10. 4 5 6 7 10. through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all that very body which was so miraculously framed with which he liv'd here on earth which he carried up with him afterwards to heaven that very body I say he freely offered up upon the Cross as a Sacrifice to God His Soul comes in too but that 's himself Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin His whole self in his whole Humane Nature was the matter of this Sacrifice Eph. 5.2 and hath given himself for us an offering c. Heb. 1.3 when he had by himself purged our sins Heb. 9.14 who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God So Heb. 7.27 The Text saith for sin God condemned sin in the flesh by which flesh the Apostle understands the whole Manhood of Christ and that was the Sacrifice for sin by which Sin was condemned 5. There was Christ's formal and proper oblation performed upon the Cross by and upon which the sins of Believers were to be expiated That there was in Christ an oblation none deny but that this was done at his Death or here on earth and was expiatory in that sense which we put upon it both of these are vehemently deny'd by the SOCINIANS but I shall have occasion to vindicate both by and by 6. In Christ's Sacrifice there was an Altar too namely his Godhead The Altar sanctify'd the gift Matth. 23.19 so 't was here the Deity of Christ did not only sustain and strengthen his Humane Nature in his being a Sacrifice therein but it also gave merit and efficacy to his Sacrifice for how did that come to be so meritorious and effectual for the good of Sinners but from this
Creature now he designing Life for Life therefore he pitch'd upon blood wherein the life did lye The Apostle tells us Heb. 9.22 And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission and if you look into the Levitical Sacrifices you 'l find what he saith to be true In the Burnt-offering for private Persons there was killing and blood Levit. 1.5 the same in the Peace-offerings Levit. 3.2 8 13. the same in the Sin-offerings Levit. 4.7 16 17 18. and so in the rest And the observation of these commands which run so much upon blood was so necessary that should any of the Priests have dared to have entred into God's presence in any other way than by Sacrifices and the blood thereof he would not have taken it well at their hands yea should they have brought into the Temple never so many Bullocks Rams Goats c. and not have slain them or having slain them had not presented their blood before him according to his Institution they would have done no good either to themselves or others for God to shew his Justice Hatred of Sin c stood upon blood and blood he would have From all this we may infer that those old Sacrifices did not expiate as bare Antecedents or Conditions without which God would not pardon or as the offering of them carried in it some Obedience to God's Commands both of which were common to many other things as well as to them surely there was more in it than so Dr. Stillingfl against Crell p. 516 c. for can we reasonably think that God would have been so positive and so express in his Injunctions about somany Sacrifices so severe in the punishing the neglect of them have ordered the taking away the lives of so many Creatures and have so much insisted upon their death and blood in order to expiation had he look'd upon them only as pre-requisite and remoter Conditions of pardon or common acts of Obedience and that as such only they should be expiatory Certainly had there been nothing in them more than this the merciful Creator would have spar'd the blood of the poor Creatures and would have pitch'd upon some other course which might have seem'd at least more consistent with his Wisdom and Goodness We may conclude them therefore to be Means instituted by God in order to atonement and expiation to the effecting of which by virtue of his own institution and the mevit of the great Sacrifice to come they had a direct and effectual tendency This foundation I have laid for the better understanding of the destroying killing shedding of blood that was in the typical Sacrifices I come now to build upon it with respect to the real Sacrifice Christ Jesus In conformity to them therefore Christ was slain died upon the Cross his body broken his blood spilt c. all which speaks him to be a true expiatony Sacrifice Had he not died and suffer'd he could not have been such but upon that he is not only such a Sacrifice really but eminently the dignity of his Person putting a superlative worth and â—fficacy upon his Death and Sacrifice O what was the death of Greatures to the death of God's Son what was the blood of Beasts to the blood of him who was God Acts. 20.28 for such aâ—person to die to shed his blood for the expiation of Sin here was a Sacrifice indeed And surely one great end of God in ordering the death of the old Sacrifices was to convince the World of the necessity of the death of this far greater Sacrifice by them he designed in ways best known to himself to lead men to a dying and bleeding Christ How much doth the Scripture spake of his blood and though his whole humiliation must be taken in as making up his Sacrifice yet in special what a stress and emphasis doth it put upon his Death and Blood wherein his greatest humiliation lay with respect to their influence upon the good of Sinners Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Rom. 3.25 whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood c. Rom. 5.9 Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him 1. Joh. 1.7 and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Rev. 1.5 Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood 1 Pet. 1.19 but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Mat. 26.28 This is my blood of the New-Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Heb. 9.12 c. Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats c. Col. 1.14 having made peace through the blood of his Cross Surely there must be some special reason why this blood of Christ is so often mention'd and why the great benefits which Sinners receive by him are in such a way of eminency ascrib'd to it of which some account will be given in the following particular O the severity of God's Justice which nothing could satisfie but the blood of his own Son O the love of Christ who thought not the best blood in his veins too good for Sinners O the truth of his Satisfaction for what could such blood be spilt for but for that what end could be proportionable to such a medium but Satisfaction O the admirable harmony between type and antitype the shadow and the substance Sacrifice and Sacrifice under the Law 't was blood under the Gospel ' t was blood too only that was common blood but this excellent and precious The Fourth Head of the Ends Effects of the old expiatory Sacrifices and how they are applicable to Christ 4. Fourthly if we compare Christ with the Jewish Sacrifices in their Ends and Effects that will further demonstrate him to be a true expiatory Sacrifice What were they atonement and expiation by them God was to be atoned and Sin to be expiated now both of these were designed and admirably effected in and by Christ therefore he was what I am proving That those Sacrifices were of an atoning nature and appointed for that end what can be more plain Here the so often cited Text which indeed is the key to the whole body of the Levitical-Sacrifices doth recur Levit. 17.11 I have given it to you upon the Altar for what end to make an atonement for your Souls where the word used as in very many other places is Caphar which signifies to * This sense of the word justify'd by all Anti-Socinian Writers Franz Disp 15. th 38. Turretin de Satisf p. 208. Grot. de Sat. p. 39. Hoorneb Socin Confut. p. 607. Dr. Stillingfl p. 509. c. pacify
in every expiatory Sacrifice there was the destruction or consumption of the thing sacrificed either in part or in the whole there being therefore no such thing in the Lord's Supper it cannot be look'd upon as a true and proper expiatory Sacrifice Pray what is destroy'd therein doth Christ's body and blood cease to be what they were in his Sacrifice upon the Cross there was a destruction in the separation of his Soul and Body for a time but what is there like to this in the Sacrament * De Missâ l. 1. c. 2. BELLARMINE having taken notice of this Argument thinks to elude it with a very pretty distinction viz. †De Missacirc l. 1. c. 27. that Christ's body in it-self is untouch'd in the Sacrament it loosing nothing of its esse naturale when 't is eaten there yet it doth loose its esse sacramentale the bread being eaten by which it was signified and made visible Answ As if the ceasing of something which was but external visible and representative the thing it self remaining untouch'd and the same that it was before would amount to that destruction which was in the Levitical Sacrifices and which was necessary to be made upon the body of Christ at his death in order to his being an expiatory Sacrifice Surely either we are a sort of men so weak and sottish as that wee 'l believe any thing or they are a sort of men so wedded to their Opinions as that they 'l say any thing that will but suit with their purpose otherwise so great a Man had never given so pitiful an Answer to so considerable an Objection 3. Thirdly if the Sacrament be a real propitiatory Sacrifice then so many Sacraments so many propitiatory Sacrifices and as oft as that is administred so oft there is a real substantial oblation of Christ's body and blood in a propitiatory way but this is directly contrary to what the World saith therefore 't is by no means to be admitted For that speaks but of one only propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ's once offering himself namely when he died upon the Cross which one offering was so full and perfect so effectual to all intents and purpoles for redemption propitiation c. as that it is not in any wise to be repeated or reiterated Heb. 7.27 Who needeth not daily as those high Priests to offer up Sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did once when he offered up himself Heb. 9.12 by his own blood be entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us Vers 26 27 28. For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath be appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many c. Heb. 10.10 12 14. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all But this man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Now how shall we reconcile the multiplication of propitiatory Sacrifices the reiteration of Christ's offering with these Texts there is saith the Apostle but one only propitiatory Sacrifice that which our Saviour offered upon the Cross nay say our Adversaries but there is the MASS is a propitiatory Sacrifice also the true propitiatory Sacrifice saith he was made but once nay but say they 't is not so it is renew'd repeated and made over and over again Christ sayes he did once and but once offer up himself nay say they but he is offered again and again as often as the MASS is celebrated in which his body and blood are as really offered as they were when he dy'd upon the Cross Christ saith he by the one oblation of himself hath obtained eternal redemption put away sin perfected for ever them that are sanctified nay say they but he hath not for besides that there must be the propitiatory oblation of him in the Sacrament Now let every person judge whether these things be not flat contradictions to the Word of God according to what we charge them with For the solving of this therefore they give us another pretty distinction viz. of our Saviours bloody and unbloody Sacrifice of that which was offered on the Cross and that which is offered at the Mass that they say 't is very true was but once and is not to be iterated but 't is not so with the latter wherefore the Apostle in all that hath been cited must be understood as designing to exclude only the multiplying and repeating of the bloody but not of the unbloody Sacrifice and so the Mass is not at all concerned therein To which I answer in shunning one contradiction they run upon another for what can be more contradictory to the Word as also to the nature of the thing than an unbloody propitiatory Sacrifice it sayes * Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood there 's no remission yes say they but there is in the Sacrament there 's no shedding of blood and yet thereby there is remission do they not still maintain that which plainly contradicts the Scripture and instead of stopping one gap do they not make another The Apostle after he had been speaking so fully of Christ's Sacrifice upon the Cross in the perfection and unrepeatableness thereof draws an inference universally to exclude all other propitiatory Sacrifices Heb. 10.18 now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin they then must be highly bold who will presume to except and limit where the Spirit of God doth not and where the matter spoken of doth not require any such exception or limitation nay where indeed the matter will not bear any such thing as here it will not for if by Christ's oblation sin be fully remitted how can any further Sacrifice be joyned with it in order to remission To me this is a most necessary principle viz. when men will distinguish upon the letter of the Scripture so as to affirm what that denyes or to deny what that affirms or so as to enlarge what that straightens and to straighten what that enlarges it highly concerns them to look to this that their distinctions be well grounded upon other Scriptures and consonant thereunto for otherwise they must run themselves into dangerous errors without all possibility of being convinced and without this all Religion will be undermin'd and the Word of God made wholly insignificant Now to apply this Rule our Dissenters when we urge the forementioned places which are so clear and cogent for what we hold would put off all by distinguishing of a bloody and unbloody Sacrifice I desire to know what Scripture-ground or warrant they
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 2. p. 97. PORPHYRY's Objections against Sacrifices in general viz. they would encourage men to be wicked All to labour after an interest in Christ's Sacrifice and in the benefits thereby procured 3. Thirdly I would excite you to labour after and to make sure of a personal interest in this great Sacrifice and in the benefits resulting from it For 't is a thing to be resented with the greatest sadness imaginable that where â—ere is such a Sacrifice so at first offered up to God and now so revealed to men that yet so many millions of Souls should perish and as to their spiritual and eternal state be little the better for it because they regard not as to themselves either the thing or the good that flows from it My Brethren I beseech you if you have any love for your Souls let it not be so with you but let it be your greatest care to secure an interest in this Sacrifice and to partake of the blessings procured by it be often considering and questioning with your selves here 's a Sacrifice for expiation and atonement but what 's this to us here 's a dying Christ but did he die for us shall we be ever the better for his death if this propitiatory oblation be not ours what will become of us Under the Law the Gentile-strangers were to offer Sacrifices as well as the born-Jews see Numb 15.14 15. Lev. 17.8 and amongst the Jews the poor as well as the rich with respect to which difference in mens outward condition God accordingly appointed different Sacrifices Lev. 14.21 but yet something or other both were to Sacrifice and in their offerings for the ransome of their Souls all were to give alike Exod. 30.15 The rich shall not give more the poor shall not give less than half a Shekel Now all this was to shadow out two things about Christ's Sacrifice 1. its equal extent to all men notwithstanding all national or civil differences be they Jews or Gentiles rich or poor 't is the same Christ to all if they believe for there is no difference Rom. 3.22 2. the equal obligation lying upon all men to look after make sure of and rest in this one and the same all-sufficient Sacrifice none in order to remission justification atonement eternal life need to carry more to God by Faith and Prayers and none must carry less Sirs let us all put in for a share in Christ's offering and in the benefits purchased thereby for if we should come short of that we are lost eternally Are not reconciliation with God the expiation of sin eternal redemption c. things most necessary and most desireable if so where can we hope to have them but in a sacrific'd Redeemer but in the imputation of the merit of his death and Sacrifice And I add do not only make sure of the thing objectively considered but labour also after the subjective assurance of it Oh when a Christian can say Christ dy'd for me * Gal. 2.20 gave himself for me his body was broken and his blood shed for me he took my guilt and bare my punishment how is he filled with †1 Pet. 1.8 joy unspeakable with | Phil. 4.7 peace that passes all understanding what a full-tyde of comfort is there in his Soul This is the receiving of the atonement as some open it and that is very sweet Rom. 5.11 And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement This is to be ey'd and only rely'd upon 4. In the actings of Faith eye Christ as a Sacrifice for sin and there let all your hope and confidence be bottom'd I say in the actings of Faith eye Christ as a Sacrifice for indeed this grace hath to do with him mainly and principally as dying and sacrific'd the Apostle speaks of Faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 't is a bleeding crucified Saviour that is the great and most proper object of Faith true it takes in a whole Christ all of Christ his Nativity holy Life Resurrection Ascension Intercession c. but that which it primarily and chiefly fixes upon is his death and passion When a Soul is brought into Christ to close with him in the way of believing what of him is first in its eye in that act is it a Christ as ascending as sitting at the right hand of God as interceding no thus it beholds him for the after-encouragement and support of Faith but that which it first considers is a Christ as dying upon the Cross and so it layes hold upon him And no wonder that 't is so since all the great blessings of the Gospel do mainly flow from Christ's death they are assur'd and apply'd by his Resurrection Ascension and Intercession but they were procur'd and purchas'd by his death as the Scriptures abundantly shew Rom. 5.9 10. Eph. 1.7 et passim now tnat which hath the most causal and most immediate influence upon these that deserves to be first and most eyed by Faith Here 's the difference 'twixt Faith and Love this chiefly looks to the excellencies of Christ's Person but that to the merit and efficacy of his Sacrifice When the Apostle Gal. 2.20 had spoken so high of his Faith in the Son of God he tells you in what notion he did therein consider him by adding who loved me and gave himself for me The stung Israelite was to look upon the brazen Serpent as lifted up and so he was healed do you desire to find healing redemption salvation by Christ O look upon him as lifted up upon the Cross so all good shall come to you Further I say let all your hope and confidence be bottom'd here this is that firm rock which you must only build upon for pardon peace with God salvation for all Oh take heed of relying upon any thing besides this Sacrifice Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ he that glory 's or trusts in any thing besides that his glorying is vain The forlorn undone Sinner should be alwayes clasping and clinging about this Cross resting upon the merit of Christ thereon and upon that only for all that hope will be but dying hope which is not solely bottom'd upon a dying Saviour The * Quum sis ipse nocens moritur cur victima pro te Stultitia est morte alterius sperare salutem Heathens could not believe that ever the death of Sacrifices should do the guilty person good they look'd upon it as folly to hope for life by anothers death but blessed be God we see that which they did not we firmly believe and steadily hope for expiation and Salvation by Christ's one offering of himself and lay the sole stress of our Faith and happiness upon that which they counted folly But let us be sure we do not mistake here I mean let us indeed
loved us He that * 2 Cor. 5.21 knew no sin was willing to be made sin †1 Pet. 2.24 to bear our sins in his own body vpon the tree to put himself in our stead yea to die in our stead for our sakes to be ‖ Phil. 2.8 obedient to death even the death of the Cross to let out his precious blood for the expiation of sin when nothing else would do it and when all Mosaical Sacrifices were weak he by a far higher Sacrifice undertook the work * Heb. 10.7 Lo I come to do thy will O God was not here love even love †Eph. 3.19 passing knowledge such high affection on his part should draw out high admiration on our part Let me here add we should so admire God and Christ as to love them and to be thankful Have they ‖ Joh. 3.16 so loved us and shall not we return love for love what monsters and prodigies shall we be if after such a manifestation of their love to us there be not reciprocation of our love to them God design'd and prepar'd the Sacrifice therefore he must have our love Christ was the Sacrifice therefore he must have our love too both deserve it both must have it Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life now doth the Father love him for this and shall not we much more did we but think of this Sacrifice and hold our hearts close to it in holy meditation surely it would cause them to love Christ Then I say be thankful yea let your whole Soul upon this go out in thankfulness be ever praising magnifying God for his unspeakable mercy in Christ your Sacrifice your Redeemer your Saviour often call upon your sluggish hearts and say Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Did God * Rom. 3.25 set forth Christ to be a propitiation did he †Isa 53.5 6. lay upon him the iniquities of you all was the chastisement of your peace upon him and by his stripes are you healed that guilt and wrath which would have ruin'd you for ever are they now both done away so as that they shall never hurt you did Christ die * Mediator noster puniri pro seipso non debuit quia nullum culpae contagium perpetravit Sed si ipse indebitam mortem non susciperet nunquam nos à debitâ morte liberaret Gregor l. 3. moral c. 13. that you might not die but live for ever did you sin and he suffer was the †innocent person punished that the guilty might be acquitted was sin condemned for you who deserv'd to be condemn'd for it what praise and admiration can be high enough for such things as these The JEWS in the day of atonement were to make the trumpet sound throughout their land Lev. 25.9 So we having received the atonement by Christ's Sacrifice should evermore be sounding forth the praises of the most high You reade of the Elders Rev. 5.8 c. they fell down before the Lamb having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of Saints And they sang a new son saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood c. * Peccat iniquus punitur justus delinquit reus vapulat innocens offendit impius damnatur pius quod meretur malus patitur bonus c. Quò Nate Dei quò tua descendit humilitas quo tua flagravit charitas c. Ego iniquè egi tu poenâ mulctaris ego facinus admisi tu ultione plecteris c. Me ad illicitam concupiscentiam rapuit arbor te perfecta charitas duxit ad crucem ego praesumsi vetitum tu subiisti aculeum c. August in Quest in V. N. Testam Qu. 55. Christians why are not your harps alwayes in your hands why are not your Souls alwayes full of holy affections as the golden Vials full of odours in the remembrance of him who was slain and sacrific'd for you Christ having offered his Sacrifice we are to offer ours 8. Lastly Do you offer to God the Sacrifices proper to you as Christ offered to God the Sacrifice proper to him For expiatory Sacrifices as you need them not Christ's one Sacrifice being every way sufficient for that end so you are not able to come up to them for you can present nothing to God properly and formally expiatory yet there are other Sacrifices which you may offer up to him And though the external and fleshly Sacrifices of the Law are out of date yet there are the internal and spiritual Sacrifices of the Gospel which you now are as much oblig'd to observe and offer as ever the JEWS were the former What are they why you are to present your selves your bodies Souls the whole man a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God Rom. 12.1 you are to dedicate your persons to Christ so as to live to him who dy'd for you 2 Cor. 5.15 yea so as to be ready to be offered in sacrifice by dying for him to allude to that Phil. 2.17 You are as an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 which spiritual Sacrifices are spiritual Dutys and Evangelical Worship prophesy'd of Mal. 1.11 in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering Here come in * Oratio purè directa de corde fideli tanquam de arâ Sanctâ surgit incensum August in Psal 141. Prayer and Praise those two eminent Sacrifices under the Gospel Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening Sacrifice Psal 116.17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord so Psal 107.22 Psal 54.6 Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name this is set forth as here by the fruit of the lips so elsewhere by the free-will-offerings of the mouth Psal 119.108 by rendring the calves of our lips Hos 14.2 And for the pleasingness of this to God above all the Levitical Sacrifices see Psal 50.13 14. Psal 69.30 31. O this is a Sacrifice which we should often be offering up to God through Christ Jesus Another Evangelical Sacrifice is a broken Spirit than which next to a broken Christ nothing more acceptable to God Psal 51.16 17. For thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt-offering The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise So also bounty to the poor distressed Saints this is an odour of sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well
pleasing to God Phil. 4.18 But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleas'd Heb. 13.16 And to summe up all holiness of heart and life that 's an excellent Sacrifice excelling all the old Law Sacrifices whatsoever 1 Sam. 15.22 Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams Micah 6.6 7 8. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God The * Vis Deos propitiare bonus esto Satis illos coluit quisquis imitatus est Senec. Ep. 9.5 Non immolationibus sanguine multo colendus est Deus sed mente purâ bono honestóque proposito Idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 2. p. 62. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. l. 3. with many more in Stuck de Sacrif p. 153. col 2. Saubert de Sac. c. 1. p. 4. HEATHENS themselves upon the light of Nature look'd upon moral goodness as the best and most acceptable Sacrifice I 'me sure Evangelical Holiness is so The wickedness of the Jews made God even to abhorre and slight the Sacrifices which were instituted by himself as we find Isa 1.11 c. Isa 66.3 Jer. 6.20 7.21 c. Amos 5.21 22. if we live in sin we may offer this and that to God but 't is all nothing nay that makes all our Sacrifices an abomination to him Prov. 15.8 Oh live the holy life keep the heart pure mortifie whatever is evil do good shun all excesses be heavenly in your affections in all things act in complyance with God's Nature and Will c. this will please him more than the most costly oblations which you can bring to him These are the Sacrifices which now under the Gospel we are to offer and surely we should offer them with all readiness and faithfulness our Lord having submitted to the bloody Sacrifice of himself on the Cross and left us none but these easie and delightful Sacrifices how reareadily should we close with them But so much for this Vse A third shall put an end to this Subject and that is of Comfort Was Christ a Sacrifice for sin Vse 3. For Comfort to Believers did he thereby condemn sin what doth this Truth drop but honey and sweetness to them who are in Christ I say to them who are in Christ for they are the persons only who can lay hold upon the grace contain'd in it as the non-condemnation of the person in the first verse so the condemnation of sin in this belongs only to such You that are in the number of these to you I bring glad tydings matter of great joy out of the bitter comes sweet for Christ to do die as a Sacrifice this was bitter to him but 't is sweet to you his death passion and whole humilation speak nothing to you but consolation Oh did Believers especially such as are under a troubled spirit but better understand and better improve this sin-condemning Sacrifice they would certainly have more of inward peace and comfort than now they have I must not in fist upon the particular and full drawing out of that consolatory matter which it affords therefore shall conclude with a brief review only of what the Text offers And so 1. here 's a Sacrifice for sin All men in ADAM having sinned wilfully after that they had receiv'd the knowledge of the truth there might have been no Sacrifice for their sin to allude to that Heb. 10.26 but the gracious God notwithstanding all this was pleas'd to admit of a Sacrifice yea himself to find out and ordain that Sacrifice here 's matter of comfort 2. Christ himself was this Sacrifice And if so how pleasing must it needs be to God! Eph. 5.2 and hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour I tell you there was infinitely more in this one Sacrifice to please God than there is in all your sins put them all together to displease God If Christ be the Sacrifice there must be an infinite efficacy and merit in it from the dignity of his person an infiniteness of merit must needs result if he will die and shed his blood what can be too high for you surely too there 's more in his Offering to save you than there is in Sin to damn you If he be the Sacrifice no question but the Father did accept of it and indeed of this he hath given sufficient evidence to the world not only by his carriage towards the Saints but also and chiefly by his carriage towards Christ himself for whereas of old he was wont to testifie his acceptation of the Sacrifices by consuming them by fire from heaven Gen. 15.17 Levit. 9.24 Judg. 6.21 2 Chron. 7.1 here with respect to Christ's Sacrifice he testify'd his acceptance in an higher way viz. by raising him from the dead taking him up to heaven re-admiting him into his presence and setting him at his Son had he not been well-pleased with his person and oblation Oh there 's a convincing evidence of this in his going to the Father Joh. 16.8 10. By this Sacrifice thus accepted you are made perfect as you have often heard out of Heb. 10.14 18. there 's nothing now to be done by Christ or by you but only to apply and improve what he hath already done is not this ground of strong consolation And know further for your comfort that the vertue of Christ's Offering is as great now as it was at the first his blood is as effectual with God for your good now as it was when it was just running warm from his veins and * Adeò magnum est hoc Sacrificium ut quamvis unum sit semel oblatum sufficiat ad aeternitatem Anselm so it shall be to the end of the world And that he may make the best of it he is entred into the holy place where 't is his business to present and plead the merit thereof he back 's his oblation on earth with his intercession in heaven and what can be spoken higher for your support comfort he that was the Sacrifice here is the Advocate there 3. By this Sacrifice Sin was condemn'd Sin condemn'd what a word is that that which would have condemned you and which only can condemn you that is by Christ condemn'd it-self condemning sin is condemn'd by a condemned Saviour And