but we were by nature children of wrath as well as others How came we to be restored and reconciled to the Father from whom we fell as much as we could by the bloud of the Lamb that hath reconciled us to God Secondly by his death he hath paid a price of purchase for union and possession of union with the Sonne So doth the holy Apostle teach us Ephes 2. 13. to 16. You that were sometimes farre off are made nigh by the blood of Christ For he is our peace who hath made both one Jewes and Gentiles both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us So that he hath made Jewes and Gentiles one houshold of God and hath built us upon Jesus Christ the cheif corner stone This is the second purchase which the Lord hath given his blood for the price of We had never been united to Christ nor by Christ been brought to the Father but by the bloud of his crosse his blood hath flain all enmity between God and us Thirdly by the same price he hath also purchased us the holy Spirit These are the three persons in Trinity a possession of Christ to be our head of the Father to be our God and King and our Father as his Father therefore he tels his Disciples in John 20. 17. saith he Touch me not for I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God As soon as he had by death overcome death now I go to my Father and your Father He hath purchased the possession of Gods fatherly love he hath also purchased union with himselfe and therefore he prayed that his passion might be available to this end that all that should beleive through the Apostles preaching should be one with them John 17 21 23. That they all might be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one So that this is the purchase which the Lord by his blood hath purchased reconciliation with the Father and union with the Sonne and also the inhabitation of the holy Ghost as 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. Know yee not that yee are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you And as he tels us in Ephes 2. 18. Through him we have an accesse by one spirit unto the Father So that this is a purchase of unspeakable blessings which the Lord hath given his blood for It was not meet the blood of the Sonne of God should be spilt in vain it were abhomination to God therefore he gives it to avoyd the greatest evill that can befall us to cleanse us from sinne and Satan and to redeem us from the curse of God and to free us also from death and hell and the world and all the enemies of our souls He gave his blood for all this not to redeem us from crosses but from the curse in crosses and that is the part which drives us from God Matth. 25. 41. Depart from me yee cursed So farre as any affliction might separate us from God he hath redeemed us from it Now from thence as Christ hath given his blood for reconciliation with the Father and for union with the Sonne and for communion with the holy Ghost so he hath given his blood for the purchase of some blessings that flow from these For by communion with the spirit we have 1. First communion with Christ in his death mortifying sinne and communion with him in his resurrection raising us up to righteousnesse Whence the Apostle professeth that he desires to rejoyce in nothing but the crosse of Christ whereby the world is crucified to him and he unto the world Gal. 6. 14. And in Rom. 6. 6. Our old man is crucified with him that the body of death might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sinne So there is the power of the spirit of Christ applying his death killing and crucifying sinne and the world in us crushing the head of the Serpent and consequently all the power of the Beast of the Catholick Church of Rome and the head of that Beast which is the Pope He did therefore shed his blood that he might destroy all the power of the enemy That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare all the dayes of our life Luke 1. 74. This is the mighty power of the spirit applying the warme blood of Christ to our foules 2. The second fruit that flows from union with the blessed Trinity is ratification of the Covenant of Grace And Christ layd downe his bloud for that end to ratifie all the promises that a reconciled God hath made and that is God in a Covenant of Grace That he will write his law in our hearts that he will forgive our sinnes and remember our iniquities no more that we shall know him Jer. 31. 33 34. Christ gave his blood to ratifie this Covenant Heb. 9. 15 16 17. And as the Testament of a Testator stands not in force till the death of him that made it so the death of Christ ratifies this Covenant and as all the Covenants were confirmed by bloud so hath Christs blood done in a speciall manner And when he speaks of ratifying the Covenant he doth not onely speak of ratifying of it in word but cheifly in the hearts of Gods people and no price could have done that but the blood of the Sonne of God by which he hath ratified all the promises of God to the consciences of Gods people That when the heart and conscience of a sinner is overwhelmed with inward agony and fear of the wrath of God and the curse of the Law the fear of death and Hell now what shall satisfie a christian in this but the death of Christ and what shall ratifie it His death hath purchased reconciliation with the Father union with the Son and communion with the holy Ghost now he hath shed his spirit in our hearts whereby we cry Abba Father Gal. 3. 14. This spirit of God works faith in the hearts of Gods people whereby all these promises are confirmed they are all certainly made good because such is the value and virtue of the death of this innocent lamb of God they are now free from the terrour of death It was not possible the bloud of Buls and Goats should take away sinne therefore still they had new sacrifices for the conscience had lost the copy by which it pleaded reconciliation by the spirit of God now he applying the death of Christ to the soul doth fully pacifie the conscience and ratifie the Covenant to the soul that now all the promises of Grace belong to this or that servant of Christ and I pray mark it because it is as weighty as any point of Religion And of all the
doctrines of Religion there is none sanctified so effectually and immediatly to beget faith in the soul as the preaching of the crosse of Christ All the doctrines of the Gospel are for the begetting of faith but they have no efficacy this way further then they are sprinkled with the blood of Christ other promises do confirme faith and they may also beget it but it is with reference to the crosse of Christ That which gives satisfaction to Gods justice that gives satisfaction to our consciences for conscience is convinced that if God deal in justice as he knows no reason but he should then he of all men is most miserable the burden of thâ—s lies heavy and is ready to plunge him to hell what will satisfie the conscience now nothing in the world except it see some reason why Gods justice should be satisfied and how shall that be done onely by the death of the lamb of God So that well doth the Apostle make the crosse of Christ the ratification of the Covenant for that cuts of all sinne and curse and the rigor of the Law hell and death and devill and damnation and all evil that can befall us in this or another world and doth satisfie the justice of God that it might remove all these and bears the whole burden of the desert of our sinnes purchaseth reconciliation with the Father union with the Sonne communion with the holy Ghost But what is all this to me will the soul say unlesse these be so given that faith be wrought in my heart to discerne all these and finde them The Lord doth indeed all these the spirit of God comes and so preacheth the Gospel and so applyes the Gospel as that in preaching these things he doth beget faith in the heart to believe that all these things are indeed belonging to such a soul and to every one whom he is pleased to accept to the benefit of the crosse of Christ and to fellowship therein and now indeed is the whole Covenant of Grace confirmed when by the death of Christ the virtue of it is applyed by the spirit to the soul Not that there is a reconcilement to God before faith and union with the Sonne and communion with the holy Ghost before faith It is before in Gods purpose and Christs purchase but when the spirit comes to apply this whose work it is to give accomplishment to the work of the other persons he applying this works saith and ratifies the Covenant and thereupon the heart is satisfied and the justice of God satisfied and the spirit at rest from unsupportable anguishes which did before plow up the tender heart of a christian that he lay sprawling as it were in his blood 3. A third benefit that flowes from the former in respect of the price paid and in regard of the virtue and efficacy of the price when it comes to be applyed you have not onely lawfull right unto the creatures to eat and drink c. but some right and title to them by the blood of Christ And he hath also paid a price for the possession of eternall glory Vntill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory Ephes 1. 14. Untill doth argue that there is a purchase we do not yet receive and when shall that be received when both we our selves and the creatures shall be redeemed to the glorious liberty of the sons of God Then shall we receive the full benefit of the price which he hath paid whiles he suffered upon the Crosse Therefore wonder not that though Christ being a lamb yet he was slain that he being slain we might be redeemed and might enjoy the purchased possession redemption from all evill in every kinde from sorrow paine c. from the evil of them And his blood also was a price for a purchased possession of reconciliation with the Father of union with the Sonne of communion with the holy Ghost dominion over all sinne ratification of the Covenant to our soules and at length the possession of everlasting glory This was the reason why the lamb was slaine and had it not been for these divine and supernatural and blessed ends he would not have prostituted his life to such a bitter and shamefull death as the death of the Crosse was It was not meet the onely begotten Sonne of God should come down into the world to lead a miserable life and to dye an accursed death but for noble and glorious ends and you have the sum in these particulars For the use of it First it is a cause of just humiliation to us whose sins were so out of measure sinful as that there is no ransome to be given for them but such an invaluable price as the blood of the Sonne of God All the Gold of Ophir all that the world can give what is it to this invaluable blood of the Sonne of God Yet this was our case and estate that if we had had many worlds for our inheritance and given them all for the redemption of one soule it had not been sufficient This was our estate and this is the estate of all such as yet live in sinne to this day It is a desperate estate that cannot be repaired nor themselves rescued from by ransome but the blood of Christ If our sinnes had been of a lesse nature a lesse price might have made satisfaction And yet such is the pride of the hearts of the sonnes of men that because we live civil lives though yet natural we have good natures are so well bred do so many good offices that we think it is not so dreadful a matter nor that we are so dangerous for our estate as others If it go ill with us what will become of desperate roaring ruffines whatever becomes of them it is a frivolous matter to you or to such as are civil and hinder the free passage of the grace of God but if our natures be so good and our carriage so comely I pray you what need such an invaluable price be given If a small matter would have saved us from the world what need such an invaluable price be given to rescue us from it You will say I hope I am not so addicted to the world I would drive a bargaine home to the head and would not be cheated But is that all you know by your selves certainly there is more for if the Lord did not see that inveglement which the word hath of us and that close combination of us to it the Lord would not have thought it needful to send his onely Sonne to redeeme us from this present evill world Frugality is not a vice in any but a virtue and if there were no more but good husbandry surely there need not such a price to be paid to redeeme us from the world But certainly the Lord sees such power of worldlinesse and untemperance in us and such power of passions and lusts that no means would rescue us therefrom
live to our selves nor to the lusts of men but to the will of God 1 Pet. 4. 1 2 3. 2 Cor. 5. 15. So that this is that which the Lord now cals us to to wit to live now no longer to those things from which we were redeemed by an invaluable price We are redeemed from the bondage of sinne and Satan and from the world and not onely redeemed from these but purchased to life as a reconciled people to God to be as the friends of God Abraham was called the friend of God Though a man make no bones of breaking out against an enemy yet now being reconciled especially to him in whom we live or move and have our being it is for us to walke as those that are reconciled to God as those that are united to Christ as those that are sanctified by his Spirit as those that have the grace of Christ applyed to our soules as those that are dead to sinne and alive to righteousnesse It is for us to walk as those that look for a purchased possession to the glory of Gods grace when this life shall be no more If we be dead with Christ why are we not free from all that which is evil and free to all that is good Col. 2. 20. It is a staine and blemish to the blood of Christ to see a child of God live in any durty corruption to see a child of God a worldling to yeild to any temptation it is a staine to the blood of Christ To see a child of God set loose from the Father or the Sonne or the Spirit it is a staine to the blood of Christ for the blood of Christ is a purchase to redeem us from all evill and to purchase to us all good For a fifth use it may teach us to apply effectually the blood of Christ as we for our parts in our Ministery so you in your meditations and repititions there is the ground of your peace No conscience that hath been troubled with sence of sinne but there lies his grief the wrath of God that is upon his unbeleiving soule He is condemned the wrath of God abideth on him If you ransack it to the bottom there is it that crusheth the spirit all other will be cast off in case we be clear in this principle about the satisfaction of Gods justice provoked against us by our many and great transgressions what shall satisfie the soule now There is nothing in the world so fit to beget faith as the preaching of the cross of Christ If I be lift up from the earth I will draw all men unto me John 12. 32. If Christ be drawn up on the Crosse held forth for his drawing of people that are troubled about the wrath of God and the removing thereof and about satisfaction to God about all our iniquities this will draw soules unto him For how will you uphold any man to bear his burden of the apprehension of Gods wrath with any tolerable ease No way but by holding forth Christ the innocent Lamb of God crucified upon the crosse and his blood spilt as a price of satisfaction to Gods justice as a price of redemption from all evill and purchase of all good then saith the soule me-thinks there is some hope even for me For who shall hinder the power of the blood of Christ and who shall hinder the free passage of Gods grace if the Lord Jesus hath undertaken it and hold it forth especially to men that are sick and oppressed and cast downe and ready to perish for want of succour In such a case while this is held forth there is the blood of Christ held forth which was shed to purchase the spirit of grace as it is written in Gal. 3. 13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a cuâ—se for us that we might receive the promise of the spirit The same blood of Christ that hath redeemed us from the curse and hath purchased the communion of the spirit he is wont in the preaching of the crosse of Christ to open Heaven to the soule to open the doors of the heart to beleive on this blood thus hâ—ld forth and so by this means you shall finde a support some satisfaction to all turmoils and agonies of consciende It is a wonder to see how this blood of Christ is mighty through God to make our peace while the spirit doth conveigh the efficacy thereof to the quieting and establishing the soule In fellowship with Christ and reconcilement with the Father that the soule sees Christ hath not dyed in vaine that he hath not heard the word in vaine nor waited upon Christ in vaine but sees there is life and peace and all in the blood of Christ And therefore wonder not now that the Apostles were so carefull in preaching the crosse of Christ ther 's the ground of all our reconciliation That satisfies the justice of God and that satisfies the soule the spirit applying it begets faith to receive it and there is they stay of the soul So this is the principall duty as for us to teach so for the people of God continually to attend unto to ponder upon this especially those whose hearts are at a losse about satisfaction of Gods wrath and pardon of their sinne It is that which in a speciall manner they stand in need to attend unto For a sixth use If any man shall aske how shall I know that all this belongs to me what it is for thee we cannot yet tell in case a man have had no impression upon his soule yet it may be to thee for ought thou canst tell because all the Elect are not yet called home but are to be called Therefore it is not the thing to say they have no hope in it because they are not yet washed by it for they may be before they dye But if for the present you would know whether you have part in it or no you see what the nature of it is where the blood of Christ comes where it is sprinkled you see what it doth it hath a redeeming power in it and a purchasing power It doth redeem thee from all evill from the power of sinne and Satan and of this world and of thine owne heart and withall from the wrath of God and the curse of the Law so that the Conscience is more pure and peaceable then before and both these go together But mind what I say further if this blood hath had this free passage in thine heart it hath purchased reconcilement with the Father union with the Sonne communion with the Spirit conformity to Christ and comforting thee in Christ Conforming thee to Christ in his death and comforthing thee in Christ and the fruits of his death the favour of God and the pardon of sinne and the blessed priviledges that his death hath purchased I say this is the efficacy of the blood of Christ where it is received in power If these
fruits be in us they are lively pledges of the love of God in our hearts If these things be smothered and dâ—ubed and overwhelmed with many Temptations and worldly businesses distracting cares and temptations though it is true the children of God may be at many losses yet mark what I say the blood of Christ is a living Spring and a running Fountaine though it may be troubled yet it will runne cleare againe if it do not it is a signe it was not from the blood of Christ but from a delusion But if it were from the blood of Christ thou shalt finde hee will purifie and pacifie thy conscience for he will not loose the value and efficacy of that rich blood great is the power of it and he will not loose the vertue of it I know there may be many pangs to Temptations and Christians in this new world may meet with new Temptations and Christians are at a losse because passions breake in we have lost all our peace and comfort of our union and the power of it it may be so it is not unusuall but minde what I say truly if the blood of Christ have any efficacy in us or power upon us you will find that the fountaine of the blood of Christ is higher then any other fountain A fountaine that springs from a low place may be stopped but if it comes from a high place higher then the highest no creature here below can hinder it nor created thing below it can intercept the flowing of it The Lord will redeeme thee from the world and from these passions and lusts and from the Satanicall and malignant distempers and the Lords blood will restore thee to reconcilement with the Father and bring thee to union with the Son and the comfort of the Spirit and the sence of it And therefore know if he have left thee to live in such distempers and thou dost blesse thy selfe in them and canst not looke further and there is nothing in the blood of Christ that much takes up thy heart for redemption from evill or purchasing good it is much to be feared thou hast not yet tasted of the blood of Christ what there may be in heaven wee know not but no man on earth can give thee a comfortable signe of a good estate If a man blesse himselfe in these engagements and in these imbondagements to the enemies of his soule and thinks his captivity is his liberty hee doth not know what the Lord Jesus hath purchased there is little hope such a man hath redemption from the blood of Christ This is the condition of all the people of God in the greatest temptations unlesse it be in some extreame hurry of passion it is a captivity to him and a burden to him that he wants Christ Jesus and that is a good signe of a mans liberty purchased by Christ This Christ who hath reconciled others to God and done great things for them in a way of grece and hath also reconciled him to God and delivered him from death to see this captivity and to groane under it it is a signe this man hath had some other liberty in times past For otherwise there is no man naturally but he thinks this is his freedom to have his owne minde not crossed to have his full liberty in the world to have good bargains and not to be pinched in this and that and not for conscience to fly in his face it is a sign a man is yet a natural born captive But when a man feels his captivity and looks at it as his burden that he feeles not the favour of God and union with Christ and communion with the Spirit It is a signe God hath called him to liberty but he hath sold himself for a captive again now he cryes as the Apostle Rom. 7. 24. O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death There he is carryed captive I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the law of sinne which is in my memebers vers 23. Here is a sign of redeeming love by the blood of the Lamb. O the wofull captivity that naturall corruption is to a redeemed soule and the great liberty it is to a carnall heart that hee thinkes it a liberty to have his thoughts free and none to tell him But to a good conscience that hath been washed and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb the body of death is a wofull bondage to him This body of death it is not actuall transgressions but a powerfull body of carnall corruption that hangs about us that though we do not break out into actuall sinnes as other men do yet we see a body of death in us and this is our captivity So then if the Lord hath redemed a soul and purchased these comfortable blessings as brings us to the sence of our wofull condition by reason of the losse of this liberty all these are witnesses of the redeeming love of Christ Lastly it may be a use of consolation to every such soule thus farre even so farre as there is no bounds and limits to it it is a marvellous satisfaction to a soule in temptation nothing more then this I now speak of One would think it were a great misery to live in horrour of conscience continually and so it is but if a man be redeemed by the blood of this Lamb then it is not terrour of conscience that can separate thee from God for Christ himselfe was under terrour of conscience as much and more then thou art without sin that he sweat drops of blood and cries out and bemoans it in a holy manner Why will you say but will you have me set such things at my heele the desertions of God at my heele Is the favour of God to be set aâ— the heele it will not hinder your union with your head though you have lost the sense of it All that Christ suffered all his desertions it did not hinder his fellowship with the second person in Trinity neither will it hinder yours The Serpent bruiseth our heel makes us go heavily and lamely Psal 43. 2. Thou art the God of my strength why dost thou cast me off why goe I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy It makes us go heavily while God forsakes us as a man goes that is crushed by an enemy but yet it will not break his head And what great consolation is this it is not terrour of conscience that can separate a man from Christ Nay I may speake a greater thing then that it is not the power of your corruptions that can break your head though they will make you go more lamely and heavily yet pride and passions c. do not separate union It must therefore raise up the heart of a Christian above his temptations above corruptions above the world above all the enemies of his soule what can they
discharged of this burden This was very plausable to carnall reason especially if they gave so much to such a Monastery that they may offer so many Sacraments for them for they look at the bread in the Lords supper as a propiatory Sacrament here were so many means to satisfie the consciences of those that were superstitious as nothing could be devised to give better content to the spirits of men in those dayes any man that knowes it shall finde it true that when the conscience is terrified with the curse of Gods Law and never shewed the true way of fellowship with Christ no man is so tender and conscionable in the performance of all duties as they If you will have them kisse the Popes foot or give so much to a Monastery and by this means Hell shall be shut against them and Purgatory discharged But for assurance of Salvation in Christ they could not endure that they that stood for that they tell them what you will not have men doe good workes away with that faggot and halter for such Hereticks Thirdly there was a third Reason and that was from the great reverence of all Councells and Synods to the Sea of Rome The City of Rome had wont to be the imperiall City now in such a case as this they thought it but reasonable In heathenish Rome they gave all worship to them and so let Christian Rome give all their worship to the chief Head there and so to their mother Church all Catholicks would incourage others so to doe and so by this means there were such incouragements laid for admiration and adoration that you may not wonder at what the holy Ghost saith That when the wound was healed all the world wondred after the beast saying who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Not the Emperors of the East and West not the King of England France Spain nor all that have been of greatest force they were none of them able to hold up their heads against this great Beast The use of this point is thus much First you may observe from hence that Universality and Prosperity though they be given for two notes of a true Church by the Papists yet indeed they are but sopisticall deceitfull delusions They are not such marks of a Church as are peculiar to a true Church here is Universality All the world wondred after the beast and here is Prosperity all the world adore and admire the Beast Who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Not all the Princes of the world So that here is externall prosperity for so they call it here are both these concur and they doe indeed argue a Catholick Church as Bellarmine saith but note this that Catholick Church which is visible which is the Roman visible Catholick Church the Scripture holds it forth as a great and ugly and monstrous Beast look not therefore at these as any good marks and signes by which Jesuites and Seminaries are wont to draw to deep devotion to the Catholick Church for all the world have run this way there is but a handfull a few of such as are otherwise minded what is Genevah and some others to Rome what have they been able to doe in comparison of the Church of Rome which is the Church of Churches none have been able to doe as they Secondly we may see the danger of this admiration and adoration the deadly and desperate danger of adoring the Catholick visible Church and the Dragon It is the cunning of these Priests and Jesuites to draw men by all means to be at least devoted to the Catholick Church and to submit their power thereunto for they say there is no union with Christ the head unlesse you be united to the visible head on Earth this is their usuall plea Now marke what the holy Ghost speaks in this Text he doth say that all the worship of this mother Church is but the worship of the Dragon Men are devoutly adicted to give up their souls to the Devill when they give up themselves to the Catholicke visible Church the Lord professeth he is not honoured by them they professe honour to he-Saints and shee-Saints and dead Saints and to all relicks and remnants of them the honour of them is given unto the Devill and not to God That look what Paul saiâ—h of heathen Rome John speaks of christian Rome This I say saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 20. That the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils And so this saith John the holy Apostle equall to the Apostle Paul or next him but here guided equally with Paul in the Authentical word of God he saith They that worship God according to the prescript of the Church of Rome they worship the Devils and not God they worship the Dragon the old Serpent So that it is not so light a matter as Gallants at Court and great Kings apprehend they will be reconciled to their mother Church they will goe a Pilgrimage that is devised by the Pope and perform duties as their ghostly Father directs them and have their bead-prayers In all this what do they doe This is a worship to the great beast but this is the issue and substance of it they doe indeed worship the Dragon It is not the Lord Jesus nor God the Father nor the blessed spirit that is thus worshipped but this is indeed the worship of the Devill Thirdly this may serve to teach us to blesse the name of the Lord that hath delivered us from this admiration and adoration from this wofull Captivity and Calamity whereto our Fathers have been enthralled All those of them whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life they were all led this way and it is a marvellous deliverance that God hath wrought for us in taking our Religion from universality and from outward prosperity It is sometimes a snare to Christians this kinde of Government that we have and they are apt to say what doe any of the great Nations of the world for worship and Government did you ever know any such thing authorised in any Kingdome There is an inward principle in us by nature to doe as all the world doe what are we more wise then they It is a great temptation but we have cause to blesse God that hath wrought deliverance for us But what if all the world did worship the Devill as time was when they did what if all the world worship the Beast and the Dragon that gave power to the Beast must we doe so And as they are not grounds of our worship so they are fit grounds of unfeigned thankfulnesse to God that hath delivered us from that Religion by which all the world was bewitched to give their Crownes Honours Bodies and States to the devotion of the visible Catholick Church and to the
of fire and brimstone But those that worship the Beast are not written in the Lambs booke of life that is in the Text Here are two propositions very evident All that are written in the Lambs booke of life doe not worship the Beast But those that worship the Beast are not written in the Lambs baok of life Then the conclusion is They shall be cost into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone That if it appear that this Beast is the Roman Catholick Church and the head of this Beast is the Pope The conclusion will be most evident that no man living and dying a Papist can go beyond a Reprobate I dare not say but some that are ignorant whom devotion hath carryed to that Religion it is possible some of them when they come to death may see the vanity of that Religion of worshipping Saints and of confining their Faith to them but that is not by their Religion but if they dye in that Religion and if their faith and worship be thrust upon them from the Roman Catholick Church and they worship Saints and Angels and believe in their owne merits for their justification I do pronounce to you that a Papist living and dying a Papist cannot go beyond a Reprobate I meane such an one was not written in the Lambs booke of life And they that are not are cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone that is the issue And therefore what a fearfull thing is it in such that do all they can to reconcile Nations to the Church of Rome and are mad upon Romish religion what desperate service do they undertake to bring men to such a religion as destroys many millions of soules It is true Those that are written in the Lambs booke of life God looseth none of his sheep but it is evident they are bloody Butchers of many Christians not chosen yet devout Christians many an one under pang of Conscience with sence of many sinfull passions and lusts are not able to get out but by a Priests absolution and if they be covered with a Fryars coule they hope they shall do well enough Such a conscience as can be opened and healed by such wooden keys as these if they know no more such cannot be saved I will not enlarge it but it were necessary to be pressed and urged in some places look not at it as a matter of curiosity and circumstance what Religion a man dyes in and think as some States-men doe that if it were not for hot-spur'd Jesuites on the one side and hot-spur'd Puritans as they call them on the other side Protestants and Papists might be easily reconciled These are the whisperings of flesh and blood but that which is written in the word doth bear expresse testimonie against such a conclusion For if Jesuites were removed and Puritans too yet if there were any left that thought they could worship the Church of Rome as they require that you must believe as they believe your faith is built upon the Church and upon the dispensation of the keyes of that Church such a faith and obedience as fals short of Christ Jesus that all salvation is to be expected from him if both Jesuites and those they call Puritans were removed if there were none but that take up their faith and obedience in that worship they hold forth I say there is not any one of them that so live and so dye knowing what they believe that can be saved Indeed you read in Rev. 3. many know not the depth of Satan and it is another matter what God may dispence to them in private but men that know what they do and believe according to the doctrine of that Church and worship according to the direction of it I say men living and so dying there is not one of them whose names are written in the Lambs book of life and therefore shall be cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone This may teach us a true ground of any mans preservation from the pollutions of the world bewitching pollutions sometimes a Catholick Strumpet carries all the world after her as in those times Sometimes the world swallows up the Church and every man thinkes him happy if hee may be clad with thick clay others are taken up with provisions for their belly and sensuall Epicurean lusts there be a world of such people Now what doth preserve the people of God that they are not carryed away either with the Catholick religion or with worldly ambition they are not taken with these but see the vanity of them what are any of us better then those that have been bewitched by these but what puts the difference The originall difference is God hath written them in the Lambs book of life and what hee hath written he hath written as Pilate sayd Hee hath written such to life and his decree is irrecoverable My counsell shall stand and I will do all my pleasure Isa 46. 9 10. Therefore there is the Originall from thence it flows the Lord Jesus Christ concurring with the Fathers counsell he hath given us redemption from the blood of Ancestors and redeemed us from the present evill world and will seek up every stragling Lamb and presents us spotlesse to his heavenly Father and then the spirit of God by which he works all in the hearts of his people that receives us for Christ and the spirit for Christ comes and takes possession of us and so thereby girds up our loyns to a dependance on him and his grace that we are preserved and saved from those fearfull temptations that overcome others and all the world are over-whelmed withall It may teach us the marvellous freedome of the love of God and therefore to admire the wonderfull love of God the cause of all this our preservation from such prevailing evills as swallow up the whole world how doth it appear why I pray you consider when the Lord wrote down thy name or mine or any mans name who stood by at his elbow if I may so speak to put him in mind of my name or thine he thought of us if our names be there and he set us downe and he delivered us to Christ Jesus by name what ever thy name is he took notice of thy name such a man in such a place he will live in this or that Countrey he is one take notice of him lay down a price for him in fulnesse of time send a spirit into this heart if he live in a Popish Countrey save him from Popery If in a worldly Countrey save him from the world where ever he lives save him from himself and bring him to my heavenly Kingdom but what was there in us that could commend us to God or what could there in us but what he appointed but what he should put into us he could not fore-see any thing but that hee must work it therefore it must certainly be his undeserved love that must
take notice of them and give them so to come to Christ and all that the Father hath given him shall come unto him The Lord will draw them and then they shall come in the meane time he keeps them from his Fathers eternal donation in John 17. 17. Those whom thou hast given me I have kept Hee hath not lost any but one that was not given him to keep he prays to God to keepe them through his own name he keeps them by his own spirit and this was agreed on from the foundation of the world when this book was written and it was not written yesterday but before the foundation of the world Rev. 17. 8. His thoughts were about thee and me and whoever is written therein a matter of much praise and glory to God that he should have such marvellous precious thoughts to us Psalm 139. 17. How precious are thy thoughts to me O God And so in Psal 40. 5. we read of the precious thoughts of God towards us that hee should have such thoughts when time yet was not neither we nor our fathers and all he did fore-see in thee and me would but provoke his wrath what was good he must work and that was from his counsell If you see any vanish away or fall away from his grace and from his Saints and he hath no pleasure in them they are not given to Christ you see he is the giver of them but if men be not given to Christ they will fall away All that the Father gives me shall come unto me it is my Fathers will I should not loose one of them If men will not hearken to the Bishop of their souls the Lord Jesus Christ see the desperate danger thereof and the originall root They are not written in the Lambs book of life It may be of singular comfort to all the elect of God whose names are written in the book of Life It is a great comfort that a man is written to life hee might have beene written to death had not the Lord been pleased so to doe You read in the Epistle of Jude vers 4. Of certain men crept in unawares who were of old ordained to condemnation The word in the Originall is fore-written written afore-time to destruction Now I say that a man is not written to destruction but to life and to life in Christ not as Adam that was to stand by his own strength and so long as he useth grace well he shall live but if not he shall dye and he so used it that if God give him not life in Christ he dyed for ever This is in Adams covenant not in Christs that was for a man to live by his own righteousnesse Do this and thou shalt live Levit. 18. 5. How wofull was our condition in this case but to be written to life and to life in Christ that is Because hee lives we shall live also I am the way the truth and the life And by this being written in the Lambs book of life that the Lord should think upon us when we had no thoughts of him nay had no being that he should then undertake for us that when the Father gives us he will receive us and by receiving us keep us spotlesse to his heavenly Kingdome that he wil preserve us from possibility of damnable Errors They shall seduce if it were possible the very Elect Mat. 24. 24. But there is no possibility what a marvellous matter is it that it is not possible that any of those that are given to Christ should be seduced it is such a mercy that may swallow up all discouragements all afflictions all blasphemy of a mans good name and state and wealth and health and all whatsoever this may support him that it is not possible he should be seduced For the Lord knows who are his the foundation of God stands sure the Lord hath written it and he is more constant then Pilate or the Kings of Persians and Medes The Law is written and established by the Kings Ring and God is more stedfast then any of the Kings of the Earth what he hath written shall be accomplished the Lord will draw them to Christ and Christ will keep them not one of them shall perish not one of them shall worship the Beast or if they do they soone see their folly and are recovered out of all snares they shall not prevaile against them It may be of instruction and exhortation to provoke you to make your election sure then you make your salvation sure and preservation from Popery and the world and from the Devill and from your own corrupt Nature sure that you shall not be carried captive with the polutions of the times and places you live in though hundreds run from God one way and ten thousands another way fall off hither and thither yet you shall still be preserved in John 6. 68. where our Saviour asked his Disciples will ye also go away when many of those that were his Disciples went away and fell off from him being offended from something which he had spoken to them and that was that Doctrine that we have now in hand and some other corolaries from it they walked no more with him then saith Christ to the rest will yee also go away Peter answered in the behalfe of the rest Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life As who should say whether shall a man go to mend himself Thou hast the words of eternall life and having the words of eternall life how shall they do better else where so it behooves us then as we desire to be preserved from all apostacy and backsliding from God notwithstanding all the temptations of the flattering world or busie world or from the destroying world by persecution and flattering by prosperity and busie world by the cares of the world and continuall cumber about the world and distempers in our hearts on that ground in such a case as this what shall preserve us If our names be written in the Lambes book of life truely we shall be preserved that neither the world nor our passions and lusts shall prevail against us My father saith Christ is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand and I and my Father are oue my Father and I will keepe them Joh. 10. 27 28. Obj. You will say it is a needlesse exhortation to make our election sure if that be not done long ago for it is not begun in this world but long before it is concluded long before or else we are not written in the Lambes book of life one of these two is concluded in Heaven Christ knows those that are given to him by his Father before he knows them by name John 10. 14. It is worthy of memory that Christ knows them all by name that argues the particularity and singularity of them as he knows all the Stars in Heaven so doth he much
down to the pit I have found a ransome Job 33. 24. He now pleads satisfaction to the justice of his Father and having satisfied for all there is a sufficient plea in his mouth for all the Elect of God whatever our actual transgressions have been the Lord hath aboundant plea for all his people that so he may both obtain of the Father the spirit to bestow good things upon us and having given us such things as faith and love and repentance he may plead our sincerity of heart and that argues communion with himselfe and saith in his bloud But that which doth make us stand righteous before him is this that he himselfe was a Lamb without spot and yet did not plead his own innocency but did bear all for us and for us all that we might ever be righteous in the sight of God And thus will God have all his servants plead or else they shall not have salvation First to plead silence That then thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God Ezek. 16. 63. Secondly to plead our iniquity Psal 51. 3 4. I acknowledg my transgression and my sinne is ever before mee Against thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest c. But purge me with by sope and I shall be clean Looke therefore unto this point mainly and principally that if we come to plead before the Lord our God hee doth require we should examine our selves and in the end be so surprized when we have done as not to have what to answer Christ could not tell what to answer and we must not wonder if wee doe not finde what to answer For here God magnifieth his love in setting forth himselfe unto a believer to be a God justifying him that cannot justifie himselfe He seeth there is the way of the grace of God the Lord hath done this in Christ and the manifestation and declaration of it doth so possesse the hearts of Gods children that it causeth them to cleave unto him for all their righteousnesse and peace And this is of great necessity and of continuall practice for the Saints of God to attend unto that we might not be at a losse in this great question of our soules Conscience cryes out unto us and wee know not in the world what to say for wee are wicked beyond measure in the sight of God our own sincerity will not plead our righteousnesse before God But all it will do will come to this end that we shall be convinced we have nothing to say Nay an Angel nay the Sonne himselfe could not tell what to say for us but wee look to be justified freely by his grace And the God of all grace doth so justifie Christs cause that all the world that are justified shall be justified by his plea who hath done all things for us that concern our everlasting salvation For a third use of the point it may be for reproof to unconscionable Advocates but I have not I thinke so much cause to speak of it here but in most places of the world I might speak of it It might teach all Advocates to take heed of bolstering out a bad Case by quiâ—ks of wit and tricks and quilets of Law the Lord abhors such things If you will have the Lord to smell a savour of rest plead the cause of the faithful and of the widow but thou shalt not accept the person of the poor nor of the rich And for men that professe Religion as many Lawyers do to use their tongues as weapons of unrighteousnesse unto wickednesse it is a professed practice against the doctrine of mortification For a man to give his tongue his glory as David calls it to become a member of unrighteousnesse to plead in corrupt Causes and to strain the Law to that purpose were I to speake in place where I should think it meet to speak more But I shall not be accounted a good Lawyer may some say No Christ was the best Advocate that ever was and yet he could not answer Let the cause be what it is where the tree fals let it lye If Christ do keep silence in point of our righteousnesse let us keep silence also in point of our own Fourthly It may be a use of instruction unto all those that professe fellowship with Christ and the saving knowledg of Christ Jesus You see here how Christ is described a Lamb slaine from the foundation of the world None more innocent and yet none more meâ—k and paâ—ient If you speak of Christ as a Minister the spirit of a Dove doth come upon him For the Sacrifice he is a Lamb. The wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye downe with the Kid and the Calfe and the young Lyon and the Faâ—ling together and a little child shall lead them And the Cow and the Beare shall feed their young ones shall lye down together and the Lyon shall eate straw like the Oxe and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cock-atrice den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine Isa 11. 6. to 9. Doe you see a man boysterous in his spirit and in his own will and wayes and will not be willing to see a difference in himselfe from the spirit of Christ Jesus as it is possible that a child of God may be rough in his way yet hee dare not allow himselfe long in it it is a body of death But if you see a man that doth allow himselfe in a passionate frame of spirit that a man will have his owne will and will not be crossed in it whether it be right or wrong doubtlesse this is not the spot of Gods children It is not the spirit of those whose names are written in the Lambs bâ—ok of life God did not indeed elect us because either we are such or would be such but he did elect us to be made such first or last before we come to enjoy the everlasting Inheritance which this book hath written us downe unto And therefore it must cut off all our boysterousnes and churlishnes of spirit all this ruggednesse and churlishness it must be taken off The wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye downe with the kid and a little child shall lead them Therefore all bitternesse of contention and pangs of passion that prevaile that are farre from the spirit of love must be removed But this will prevaile in all Gods people that God will carry an end your spirits in conformity to the spirit of his own Be of that spirit therefore in all your Transactions that is to say mild and patient and innocent And so it will require all the children of God in the same